Queensland
Parliamentary Debates [Hansard]
Legislative Assembly
FRIDAY 7 DECEMBER 1906
Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy
2114 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supplernentar.~; Loan Estimates.
FRIDAY, 7 DEOE}!BER, 1906.
The SPEAKER (Hon. Sir A. S. Cowley, Herbert) took the chair at h"'lf·past 3 o'clock.
PAPER. The following paper, laid on the table, was ordered to be printed :-Correspondence relative to payment of income tax by judges of the Supreme Court.
SUPPLEMENTARY LOAN ESTIMATES, 1906-7. The SPEAKER announced the receipt of a message from His Excellency the Governor, for· warding the Supplementary Loan Estimates, 1906 7. On the motion of the TREASURER (Hon. vV. Kidston, Rockhampton), the paper was ordered to be printed and referred to Committee of Supply. Supply. [7 DECEMBER.] Dalby-Cattle Creelc Railwa,y. 2115
SUPPLE:\IE~TARY ESTIMATES, 1005-fi. DALBY TO CATTLE CREEK RAILWAY DISTRICT BILL. 'fhe SPEAKER also annount'ed the receipt of a messag-e from His ~Excellenc:v the Governor, SECOND READING, "forwarding the Supplementary EstimHtes, 1905-6. The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS (Hon. On the motion of the THEASURER, the D. F. Denham, Oxley) : This is a small Bill for paper was ordered to be printed and referred to the purpose of applying the provisions of the Committee of Supply. Railways Act of 1906, with the exception of one section-that is, section No. 4-to the Dalby to Bell Rail way, which was constructed some year agr>, and opened to traffic in the month of QUESTIONS. April, 190n. The whole of the provisions of XANAXGO LEASE, BuRNETr DrsTmcr. the 1906 Act apply, as I have said, with the exception of section 4 That section is an :Mr .•TONES (Burnett) asked the Secretary for important one, innsn1uch as it provides that a Public Lands- copy of the map and deecription of the benefited 'Vhether or not applic11tion has been made by the area must be deposited with each loc,,l authority lessee or lessees for the extension of the Nanango lease concerned. In this case there are twolocalauthori -in the Burnett district? ties-theshires of Rosalie and \Vambo. Then it provides that notice shall be inserted in the The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS Gacette, and in some newspaper circulating in the (Hon. J. T. Bell, Dalby) replied- district, so that the occupier of land within the The Land Court in .April last decided not to classify benefited area or the local authority may take Nanango Holding under the Land .Act, 19J2. exception to the boundm·y if so desired. It further provides that in case of objection being lodged against being included in the benefited FREE PASS OVER RAILWAYS, area, an officer may hold an inquiry, and the boundaries may be amended. It is quite clear ::\lr. \VOODS ( Woothakata) asked the Secre that none of these things can be done now, seeing tary for Railways, without notice- that the railway is alreadv constructed and in What action he intends to take in connection with operation. All' the other provisions of the Act the free pass now being used by ltlr. Pratten over the apply. It will now be incumbent on the shire Queensland railways? councils of Rosalie and IVambo to appoint valuers to value the land, and the valuation is The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS to be made having regard to the enhancement of {Hon. D. :F. Denham, Oxley) replied- the capital value which the railway constructed T?e .mat~er only came under my notice last evening. will effect, and the ratepayers of the benefited I will mqnn·c how -~\lr. Pratten came into possession of area will be liable for any deficiency in work it, and take whatever action may be necessary. ing the line. The Trea"1rer also is iiable with re~pect to Crown lands. Now, seeing the railw:ty is alre,>dy constructed, it 1s neceshary that this Honse shall determine the boundaries ADDITIONAL SITTING DAY. thd are to be liable for any asse"'ment, and I DROPPED MOTION. may point out, fnr the convenience of hon. n1emR hers, that in addition to Schedule I., which On the notice being called- describes the district, there has been included That, in addition to the dRys already provided by in Schedule II. a map 'vhich indicates in a very Sessional Order, the House will, unless otherwise distinct manner the boundarie>. Hon. mem ordel'od, meet for de.;;;pateh of business at 3 o'clock p.m. bers will notice that this is :, very favourable on ).-1onday nt:xt, and that general businefd do take precedence of Government busine..,s up to 7 o'clock district to delin1it-tlkre arE' lUl,tnral boundaries. p.n1. on that day- On the north-east there is the natural boundary of Bunya Mountains. On the eastern corner The PRE:vHF.R (Hon. IY. Kidston, Rock from ::\Iount 1\Ior-otta south-west to Dalby the lwmpton) said that as the motion w.ts unneceo area is determined by the ":tter divide separat sarv, he did not intend to proceed with it. in,- the v c.Jley of the Moo la Creek from (,\uina lo~v and Myail Creeb, 'rbe nh tural trenc! of traffic here will be towards tha new line. The officer who marked out the area informs me that there GATTON SCHOOL OF AltTS BILL. is a natural ridge which will divert :•.nd influence THIRD READING. traffic. The area has Lc'.n d,,fined after careful inquiries, showing the natm al way in which the On the motion of the HOJ\Il~ SECRETARY traffic would flow. The area of land within the (Hon. P. Airey, Flindcrs), this Bill was read a boundarv is about 2GO,OOO acres, of which some third time, passed, and ordered to be transmitted 52,000 acres is Crown lands. Now, assuming to the Legislative Council, by me:;sage in the usual form. that the value of the land is £1 an acre all round-I think I should be perfectly safe in saying it is near•CI' to £2 or "£3 an acre all round SUPPLY. -but assuming £1 an acre all round, I think ld. an acre will about cover the deficiency which RECEPTION OF RESOLUTIONS. will probably accrue next year. The CHAIRMAN OF COJ\IMITTEI"S Hon. R. PHILl': A penny in the £1. (Mr.• J ackson, Kennedy) reported the resolutions The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: As pae~ed in Committee of Supply, covering the Departments of Public Lands, Agriculture and suming the land to be worth £1 an acre, 260,000 Stock, Public Instruction, JYiines and Rail wayo, pence will probably cover the deficiency. The hou. member for Bulloo last night inquired The resolutions were read at length by th< if I could furnish him with the cost of work CLERIC ing and the revenue since the line has been The TREASURER moved that the resolu opened. He is not present, but I have obtained tions be agreed to. the informatioc, which m>ty be of interest to the Committee. The working expenses since Question pnt and passed. lOth April, when the line was first opened, Hon. D. F. Denham.] 2116 Dalby to Cattle Creek [ASSEMBLY.] Railway District Bill. to 30th June, was £492, and from 1st July Further on the Minister for Railways said- to 31,t October, £663. The total working ex If it was fair that the people who bought the unsold penses since the line was opened-from lOth Crown lands paid the added value ghcn by the con April to31 st October-are£1, 155; and the revenue struction of the railway. it \vas alt:iO fair that they £7f\7, showing a deficiency in working expenses should look to the owner::; of the intervening la lids for of £388. But if to this be added the interest a contribution towards the cost of the raihvay in charge of :l per cent. on £29,861, for 205 days, return for the benefit they would derl\'l. It was only a qnest,ion ot how they siJOuld accomplish \V hat they then the d~eficiency would be £891. The earning de"iired. The htw at prc .. ent was not adequate for the power of the extension is not truly represented purpose. The hon. gentleman said tilBy could du 1t here, as owing to there being no trucking-yards under the Local G-overnment Act; but they coti.ld only a considerable quantity of stock has been driven do it if the people interested volunteered to submit to Dalby for trucking, which, had yards been themselves to a t
The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: The Then, again, I think that at the time the rail understanding is that the people who benefit way was approved of, the Secretary for Lands from the construction of a line should contribute, said that the land would be sold at a higher and I have gravP doubts as to whethPr this line price to pay for the con'ltruction of the rail way. will benefit Dalby. My own impression is that That seemed a very feasible thing to do. If you the traffic will largely go to Toowoomba, which build a railway, and improve the value nf Crown is the larger centre. lands, you will get a better price for the land. I Mr. FORSYTH : Toowoornba should be in the hope that, if this Bill is passed, the Secretary benefited area, in that case. for Lands will take into consiCI.eration the reduc tion of the price of this land, and not make tbe The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: It unfortunate sekctors pay an enhanced price must be a direct benefit, and it might bP difficult and also pay a tltx. I do not like tbe measure to prove that there wail a direct benefit, although at all. we know that there wiil be an indirect benefit to The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS Toowoomba from the construction of this line. It is (Hon. ,T. T. BelL Dall1y) : I should like to asso just the oarne os the construction of the line from ciate myself with a very great deal of what tbe Eddington to Cloncnny. Town.wille will benefit hen. member for J\Iaranoa has said on this Bill. by it, but it might be difficult to s~ty that Towns It does seem, on the face of it, an invidious ville recei,·ed a direct benefit. Then, again, thing that this particular line should be picked every iine crmstructed west from Brisbane con out for the operation of a measure of thh kind. fers some benefit on this city. I feel that mnch more, of course, than any other .:\Ir ..J. LEAHY : The amount of benefit varies member of this Chamber can do, because I am every year. the representatil·e of that district. But I want The SJ<;CRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: Yes. the people who live in that district to lmow-I I think that in drawing up this boundary the want tbe people outside that district-a.!] the fairest possible thing has been donP. I move the people in Queensland who take the slightest in second reading of the Bill. terest in the matter-to know-but, above all, I wish the people who will be liable for rates to ::Yir. RYLAND (Gympic): I would like to make good any deficiency in reg-ard to. th~s lir;te know if there will be an opportunity when we to know-that the Government ""e bnngmg m get into Committee of discus.,ing Schedule I. of this Bill in deference to the fact that they gave the Bill? their distinct promise to do it. Mr. J. LEAHY: The schedule will have to be GoVEHXliiE:'!l' ME~IBERS : Hear, hear ! passed in Committee. The SECRETAHY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: .:\Ir. RYLAND: I would like to see that They are keeping their word, and however in schedule referred back to the Commissioner, so convenient it may be to single out one partwnlar that he can include Toowoomba and Dalby in the loc:.lity for the first introduction of a. pri':ciple benefited area. of this kind, nevertheleso; they are dmng It be The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: I believe the cause they said they wonld do it; and they said hon. member for Dalby woulrl be agree,tble for they would do it at the insUgation of the hon. it to be referred back to the Commissioner. members on the other side. It is the hon. member who leads the Opposition, the hrm. :Yir. R YLAXD : Toowoomba is going to bene member for Bulloo, the hon. member for the fit more than any other place, A lot of places suburban constituency-the hon. member for listen to the interjection which the hon. member is the Jimbour Estate, and the other is a large for Bulluo made a short time ago, asking why freehold property owned by a company of which the town of Dalby is not included. I believe I am right in saying the senior me m her for North Brisbane is a director. Is that ~lr. J. LEAHY: I never made any interjection of the kind. It is like a lot more that you say. not so? Hon. E. B. FORREST : That is right. The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: I apologise to the hon. member. It was the The SECRETARY FOr-t PUBLIC LAKDS: hon. member for Toowong who asked the ques I hope the hon. member realises that the lia tion. You get an example of the spirit that is bility under which his company is being placed instigating hon. members opposite in regard to by this measure is brought about by the repre this measure when they ask why the town of sentations and actions of his colleagues on the Dalby is not included front Opposition bench. Mr. J. LEAHY: \V ell, one of your own sup Hon. E. D. FomtEST : I do not recognise that porters a,,ked why Toowoomba is not included. at all. The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS : The SPEAKER: Order ! In addition to those two large freehold areas, The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC L~~NDS: which, I hope, will come under the operation of It will be a regrettable thing if, as the years go the Bill now before Parliament, the Closer· by, the people who are within the benefited Settlement Bill-in addition to thoee two large area .have to make up any deficiency on its freehold properties, we have at the end of the workmg. It will be regrettable, not merely from line some 20,000 acres of country, and about 10 the narrow point of view of the people who will miles be~·oncl the line we have 19,000 acres ad ha,-e to pay, or from the standpoint of the ditional, which I hope to have open at the end individual who is representing them. It will of January. That will make 35,000 acres of really be an ominous incident in regard to the Crown lands not now under settlement, but which whole State of Qneensland. And why is that? I hope before very long to see under occupation by Because thi" line goes through as fertile a belt close settlement. It seems to me that with of country as I suppose you will find in the thab prospect before the line-having 3:3,000 continent of Australia. Probably with the acres of Crown lands to be taken up and exception of that line, which I al,;avs think is settled, and having two large blocks of free the most charming length of railway I have ever hold property which, at present, make a very travelled over-the line from Warwick to Kil small contribution to the line so far as larney-I do not think you can find a fairer using it is concerned-with those areas settled, piece of farming country, fit for closer settle the prospect of the line being a burden ment, than that along the line which runs from on the people is not a very great one. \Vith Dalby to Cattle Creek-the line we are now regard to the 35,000 acres to which I have discussing. Moreover, in conjunction with the alluded, let me say in answer to the hon. mem virtues and merits of the countrv which the line ber for Maranoa that I certainly shall, as a result traverses, you have to take into considerat;on of this Bill passing, open that land at a consider the fact that it is probably the cheapest line ever ably lower price than I should have done if the built in Australia. I find in the report of the Bill had not been passed. (Hear, hear !) That Engineer-in-Chief for Rail ways this paragraph- will be one effect so far as we can see at present of the introduction of the new Hailways Bill The line from nalby to Bell (23~ miles) was corn~ menced in April, 1905, and opened for public traffic on generally. If the State is to be guaranteed lOth April, 1906. 'l,hc constrnction was. somewhat against a loss on the working of any line which delayed, owing to difficulty in obtaining the necesF:Lr\· they may construct by the people in the neigh sleepers. The cost ha8 been probably the loweSt bourhood, it is only a fair thing the people who rec<;>rded in A~ls~ralia, for a line rapable of carrying take up the Crown lands in the locality should rollmg_-stock sun:Iar to that in Queensland, it being, not pay the enhanced price. Their liability for exc~us1ve of statiOn accommodation, surveys, land, or rollmg-stock, £956 per mHe, of which £-137 per mile was any loss en the working ,,f the line is a for rails and sleepers, lea\ing a balance of £51D for con sufficient recognition of their responsibility. struction and supervision. That will be one of the results of the appli It was also- cation of this Bill to that neighbourhood that people will be able to take up that 35.000 and I should imagine that from this point of acres of Orown lands at a distinctly lower rate view also it has the pre-eminence- than they would have been able to do if this Bill It was also completed just under the net cost esti had not been passed. The only feeling I have mate. about this measure as member for the district to Those are two features nisting-uishinu this line which it applies is in regard to a fact alluded to the fertility of the soil and the che;pness of the by my colleague the Secretary for Railways. cost of construction; and, if it should come :For that fact my colleague is not responsible, about, rts years go on, that this line is not but the Commissioner for Railways. Although going to pay, I say it will be a very ominous the Commissioner in his report calls this line a ~hmg for the sncce;;s of short branch railways finisher! line, yet as a matter of fact it is not m Queensland. If that line is not going to pay finished. There are people living near the line I do nut know what lines in Queensland are who are not able to use it owing to the absence gomg to pay, "part from the big \V estern trunk of equipment lines. Therefore, I hold the opinion that The SECRE'rARY FOR RAILWAYS: Before they although this m0asure is passing, yet ultimately can become liable under the Bill they must be we shall find that it will not be a burden on the able to use the line. people who are made responsible. I fervently hope that at anyrate, hecause if these people The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LAXDS: have to make up any loss on that line it will That is one criticism I make upon this pro]Josal mean that a heavy blow will be struck at the as member for the district. As a matter of fact, construction of future short lines in :•gricultural the line is not finished. I can only hope that it ?istricts. I repeat a15ain, ~ha.t, if a line posses,•.• very soon will be finished, and that. if ]J80ple mg the attnhutes whJCh tlus !me pn·:sesses is not wish to send stock by it, or to store their goods going to pay, it will be a blue lookout for short at the various stations, tbey will have an oppor l!nes in agricultuml districts in the future. This tunity of doing that, but up to the present they line traverses two large freehold properties. One have not had that advantage. [lion. J. T. Bell. Dalb,y to Cattle Creek [7 DECEMBER.] Railway District Bill. 2119 Hox. R. PHILP (Tmuns~·ille): I think the HoN. R. PHILI': I think that future lines of Government are quite right in bringing in this this nature ought to be built on the so,me prin Bill, but I do not say they are right in singling ciple. ThA Goondiwindi line should have been out this special line for such legislation. built on this principle, and the. GaJ:'ndah a~d Mr. Bt:RROWS: You insisted upon it. Jericho lines. The Oloncurry !me 1s a mam line o,nd will pay interest and working expenses Hox. R. PHILP: \Ve did not insist upon on the money expended. It will make no dif it. ference to the people in that dist~ict whether ::VIr. BuRROWS : Yes, you did. this principle is applied to that hr:e or n?t. HoN. R. PHILP : Does the hon. member Half of it is to be built under thP lta1lway B1ll, mean to say that fourteen members can compel and half has been built without it. I hope with the Government to do what they dtl not want to the member for Dalby that this li':'e will !.'ay ex do? The Government now recognise the argu ceedingly well. He can tell ~Is constituents ments which we put forward two years ago, and anything he lih' about the sms of members are now dning· what they were advised to do by sitting on this side. \'Ve are quite prepared to the Opposition two years ago. I contend that face the hon. gentleman's constituents, and give any line wbich goes through private lands ought them our version of the story. to be built by the people who own the land. :Hr. TOLMIE (Drayton and To01raomba): I :Yir. PAGET: Or the local authorities. do not view the introduction of this Bill with auy particular amount of gratification. I have HoN. R. PHILP : Or under the Railways always been opposed to the principle c?ntained Guarantee Act. And that has been my opinion in the measure passed very recently. No doubt for some time. the G:Jvernment feel it to be their bounden The PREMIER: You kept it very dark. duty to bring in the Bill since they gave a pro Hon. R. PHILP : I did not keep it dark, but mise to introduce it. have frequently expressed that opinion. I can Mr. P.-\.GET: You supported the Railway Bill. name seven or eight local authorities who Mr. TOLMIE : I did not; I merely spoke on borrowed money from the late Government to the motion for the second reading. build lines, and I have said half a dozen times Mr. MuRPHY : \Vhat did you do-dodge it? that that is the proper course to follow. I can also mention three or four lines which were Mr. TOL:\IIE : I have no hesitation in saying built under the Railways Guarantee Act. that if a division had been taken I would have Mr. J. LEAHY: The Beaudesert line. voted against it, as the Secretary for Rail ways well knows. But that is not the point under HoN. R PHILP: Yes, the Beaudesert line, discussion just now. With regard to this Bill, the line from Port Douglas to Mo.,sman, the I think that a hardship is being inflicted on the J ohnston River line, the Herbert River line, jJeople of the district, for this reason-they have the line from Townsville to Ayr, and the had no opportunity of saying whether they are Mackay line. The local authorities borrowed desirous of coming under the Railways Bill. money, and built those lines on private lands, The Bill recently passed gave a partial oppor and it would have been better if the owners of tunity to the people of a district to say whether land in the neighbourhood of the Dalhy to Cattle they cte,;ire to have a railway or not, but the Creek Railway had taken the advice of members people of this di•trict have been given no such on this side of the House, and had this railway opportunity; and, from my knowledge of the built under the Railways Guarantee Act. district, I do not think it is likely that the rail The SECRETARY !'OR l'um,rc LANDS : You way will pay for many years to come. Of course proposed to build it yourself. the whole trouble last year was that a number of rail ways were introduced, and each of them HoN. R. PHILP: That was six or seven happened to be in the electorate of a :Minister, years ago, but since then most lines of this and this being the smallest line a set was character have been built by the local authori made against it. Because such a set w~s made ties with money borrowed from the Government. against it the Government made a prom1se that It is a paltry thing for the J\Iinister for Lands it would be brought under the betterment and bon. member for Dalby to say that this Bill principle. As has been said by the member for has been brought m because the leader of the Maronna, it was a foolish promise, but the Opposition, the hon. member for Bulloo, and people have got thol rail way w hieh they would the bon. member for Toowong voted for the not have got but fur that promise. I do not principle. I am glad to see that the members of know that in the history of our legislation auy the Government now recognise the principle. other measur,~ has been brought forward similar The hon. member for lJalby made a very good to this-a me,osure that I may call of a punitive speech to his constituents, but he spoiled that character. It puni"hes the people of the district part of it by blaming somebody else for the by making the !na.tter retrtlsper:tlve. The wrong which io being done. amount of settlement in the district, as far as The S':Cl The SPEAKER: Order ! gave a pledge that that particular railway would Mr. TOLMIE : I am only referring to land be subject to this tax, and the peo]->le concerned which the Minister describes as one of the beauty knew that the railway would be built practically spots of Queensland. If that land is to be under those conditiono. I think the Minister utilised for the purpose of making the railway for Lands is wrong when he attempts to pay, it will have to be given to the people at a put the onus of this legislation upon any mem very much lower price. Still we cannot get ber on this side of the House, because it away from the fact that in taking thb action we is practically giving effect to the Govern are inflicting an injury on the people of that ment policy as set out by ::\Ir. JYiorgan, and J.istrict because they ha Ye not been consulted as if it had not been included in Mr. M organ's to whether thEy want the railway or not. The policy it would not be placed on the people in railway has gone there, and they have to pay the Dalby district. The Minister for Lands was for it. If they had an opportunity of saying a supporter of that policy, and it is too late for whether they would have it on these terms or him now to come forward and say he is not not the probability is that they would not. responsible for the advocacy of this principle and for the position in which the Dalhy people find Mr. MACARTNEY (Toowony): I think the themselves to-day. If the hon. gentleman was hon. n.t•mber for Toowoomba is hardly consis perfectly straightforward he would take upon tent in the position he takes up. If I remember himself the onus of the position instead of seek rightly, the hon. member was a supporter of the ing to throw it on other per~ons. He is respon manifesto put before the country in 1904 by the sible for this-no one more so, with the excep Premier, :Mr. Morgan. I will read an extra0t tion, perhaps, of his leader. So far as the Bill from that policy- is concerned, I do not understand w by the Associated somewhat with that is the subject of Dalby-Cattle Creek Railway is selected as constructing light hne.::; of raihvay in farming districts. the sole exception. I think the promic~e made We are prepared to do this by a variety of means. 1-Ve by the PrHnier of the day could be just as fairly can advance the money to !ocal authorities. Or we may construct the lines under the Rail way Guarantee applied to the \Vetheron-Gayndah line or the Act, or by a new mctll0d of constructing lines to areas Thane's Creek-Goondiwindi line as to tbe Dalby of Crown land, and loading the land \Yith the cost of Cattle Creek line. I am not certain whether construction, an experiment which I am anxious to see the Thane's Creek line was passed during that made, and which. I think, can be carried out success session, but the Dalby-Cattle Creek and the fully. But in order to ensure that the people who \V etheron-Gayndah lines were passed together, benefit by the construction of such lines should con tribute something, it will be necessary to load the land and they both certainly come within the defini benefited other than Crown land \Yith part of the cost, tion of the policy as J{ght agricultural lines. .I that is the land intf·rvening between the main line fail to see why this line was selected for thts and the Crown lands. invidious treatment. It is not a sound position If that land derives benefit·from the construction of to take up, and I was astonished when I saw it the line, it should contribute something towards its was intended to introduce a Bill on these lines. cost. It will be necessar:, therefore, to apply the Looking at the Bill and the schedule we have betterment principle to land~. so situated. Those are the lines upon whieh we are prepared to enter nothing else before ns to show the principle upon upon the policy of constructing hght lines of railway which the area has been selected. I have seen no to farming centres. report from the Commissioner for Railways or I understood that the hon. member for Too other person responsible for fixing the better woomba subscribed to that policy, and when the ment area; the House should at least have had Dalby-Cattle Creek line was introduced, and no a report of that sort so that it might understand provision was madf' to give effect to that policy, the principle upon which the area is defined, I, without any personal desire to have a dig at The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: I explained the Secretary for Lands because he was a that when moving the second reading. member of the Government, or for any other Mr. :MACARTXEY: \Ve did not get what reason, moved an amendrnent. we eh,mld ha Ye expected from the Commissioner The SECRE~'ARY FOR PuBI,IC LANDS : \Vhy for Rail ways or other expert person who had did you not do so with regard to the other lines? gone over the ground and given his reasons. "\Ve find from the plan that the boundaries are Mr. MACARTN:EY : This was the first of the irregular all round, and have not been told why batch brought forward ; and, having been straight lines were departed from. Nor do we defeated on that line, it was no use moving a understand the reason for excluding that part of similar omendment on the others. The party the land which is in the immediate vicinity of led by Mr. l'v1organ were very detern1ined that, Dalby. even though my amendment was in pur,uance of The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: I explained their policy, they would reject it. The amend that. ment which I moved was to secure the carrying Mr. MACAltTXEY: i\"ot in the way one out of that policy, and to give the Government would have expected from the Commissioner an opportunity of showinR that they were sincere for Railways. It only goes to "how that the iu their policy, and about which there was a con whole business is an arbitrary kind of business, siderable amount of doubt, not only in connec and we had another instance of it in connection tion with this railway but in other directions, with the Cloncurry line. I do not intend to at the time. oppose the Bill, which is more a matter for the The SECRETARY l!'OH R.ur,wAYS: That doubt people concerned. I have only explained my has been removed now. pv,jtion in reg:ud to it. It is not particularly Mr. MAC UtTNEY : I moved that amend my de,ire to see the Minister for Lands' electorate ment to give the Government an opportunity of suffer for his own politic.>! sins. Everyone who carrying out their policy, not for the purpose of knows the hon. gentleman will admit that he is getting at thP electorate of the .i\Iinister for his own worst political enemy. Lands. I certainly sympathise with :Mr. HARDACRE (Leichharclt) : \Vhen this [4.30 p.m] him in the positiou in which he finds Bill was introduced I gave it my welcome. I himself placed, and I am sure I had not intended to P"JT anything on the second shall be one of the beqt plea>Ad members in the reading because I wished to see it passed through House if the railway is so succes·;ful that no tax all its stages, and vut into law. But after will be levied on the people in the district bene what has been :said this afternoon I desire to fited by the railway. Quite apart from the express my opinion with regard to it. Some amendment I moved the Premier of the day exception has been taken to the betterment [.!11 r. Tolmie. Dalby to Cattle Creek [7 DECEMBER.] Railway District Bill. 2121 principle being applied solely to this railway. mate area, and we can get at the increased I think there are two excellent-overwhelming value given to it by the railway. This is a -reasons which must approve themselves to all matter which every hon. member who appre members of the House. The -first is, that when ciates justice ought to support. In this case I it was passed we had a clear and speci-fic promise might take the flattering unction to myself~- by the Premier that if it was passed the better Hon. R, PHILP : Y on are not blamed for it. ment principle wculd afterwards be applied to it; and there were a number of rnernbers on this Mr. HARDACRE : Apart hom that, I side-myself amongst others-who were ex believe it is due to the gradual perception of the ceedingly incensed at the time at the proposal justice of that principle, and the recognition to buill the line without the betterment principle that in future we have no right to expend public being applied to it. In fact, so strongly were money for private interests without trying to get half a dozen of ns incensed against it that if something back from those private intere'ts the promise had not been given it is pro which are getting the chief benefit of it. I am bable the rail way would never have been exc~edingly pleased that the Government has constructed. Therefore, having been passed risen to the occasion in introducing this Bill and on the promise, it seems to me the Govern keeping their promise, and they have my hearty ment are doing a thing which every hon. mem support in thh matter. bers can appreciate whether they believe in the principle or not. They are keeping a promise The PREMIER: I would just like to say which has been made. I am concerned with the that the reason for the Bill being introduced is fact that the promise then made is now being simply that the Government want to keep faith fulfilled, and no one made that promise clearer with this Hou,,e. ,at the time than the bon. member for Dalby Hon. R. PHILP : Hear, bear ! himself. On the strength of tbat we passed the The PREJ\IIER: It is rather an exceptional railway. Thus, it will he seen, there are reasons thing to do-(laugbter)-for the Government of why the principle should apply to this railway Queensland to keep faith with the House. It is which do not apply to other8. And an undis rather an unusual thing a year after a railway putable reply to all objections is to be found in has been built to come clown with a Bill imposing the report of :c\fr. George PhilliJJs, which was in a betterment rate on the land holders there, and the bands of hon. members before the railway it cannot fairly be said now, as was said by the was constructed. He there points out that the hon. Ir><>mber for Toowoomba, that the people in proposed railway would run through 23:\; miles of that district are at a disadvantage as compared freehold country, and that the freehold land with others who may have railways built in would be increased in value in Knme cases by the their district under the new Railways Bill rail way as much as from 20 to 50 per cent. He because they have no voice in saying whether also shows that. the increment to the freehold they wanted a railway under such conditions or land would be 75 per cent. more than it would be not. Now, that is not true. These people could to the Crown. have said that they did not want the railway Hon. E. B. }"ORREST: He gave no reas,ms why under these concli tions, because, nnleos they bad he came to that conclusion. lost all faith in the >;tatements of public men, they ought to have known that if the railway 11r. H~"RDACRE: He is a highly esteemed was built that would be the result. There is no engineer, and I think hon. members will all doubt that when the Railways Bill was before admit his great ability. He was sent there f.,r the House, both sides of the House recognised the purpose of reporting ; this is his official that it was only fair lo the g'eneml taxpayer report, and I take it that we have the right to to build that line on some such principle as this. accept 1t as the best authoritv. In any case I The Government at that time admitted that will give his conclusions. He points out that and !Jromised to bring the line under this altogether the land within the bene-fited area principle, and they could not, with the slightest would be enhanced in value to the total sum of regard for public decency or anything like £98,750. The enhancement in value on freehold honour in the conduct of public affairs, have land within a radius of 10 miles from Dalby he refrained from bringing in this Bill and bringing estimate' at £11,250; on freehold land between the railway under its operation. the 10 and the 20 mile radius, £39,375; on free hold land outside of the 20-mile radius, but Hon. R. PmLP : You do not blame the entirely within the 30-mJle radius, £28,12!), Opposition, then ? while on Crown land it would be only £20,000. The PREMIER: Ko, I do not blame the From the report it appears that the rail Opposition. I rejoice that we h'we at last opened way would increase tlw value of the Crown the eyes of the Opposition to the beauty of this lands by £20,000, and it would increase the principle. I am exceedingly pleased that there value of freehold lands approximately four times is so general a consensus oi opinion in this House the amount. Hon. members will agree with the that this is a proper thing to do. policy of making the selectors of small areas of Mr. PAGET: \Ve have always believed in local Crown lands pay some contribution to the ex authorities buildmg local line'. penses of that railway. In that case is it not a fair thing we should also make The PREJYIIER: It is quite evident that on the freeholder& pay something for the increment this principle of betterment we all agree. of value which comes to their lands in conse An HoNOURABLE J\IE>IBER : Y on had better quence of the railway? \Vhy should we, when introduce that Betterment Bill of yours again. we have carried on ~trict economy, and been The PREMIER : I do not he•itate to eay that, ,careful of the public funds in other directions, when a railway of this kind is built, benefiting give a clear gain of £78,000 to freebolders who the owners of freehold land to such an enormous never gave a single penny for the value of extent as this would benetit any owner, they are the work? It is the clearest conception of not unfortunate owners at all. justice to make these men who are getting The SEOREl'ARY FOR RAILWAYS : He:1r, hear! something pay something for that which they are getting, and it is a clear case in which we The PRE::'vliER : They are exceedingly for ought to apply this principle. There is another tunate owners in getting a railway built that reason also-the increased value is generally will double, and quadruple in many instances, increased indefinitely over indefinite areas, but the value of their land ; and if to get that they here it is definitely confined within an approxi- pay a contribution from the increased value Hon. W., KidstQn.j 2122 Dalby to Cattle Greek [ASSEMBLY.] Railwa_y Disi1'ict Bill. they are still not unfortunate but exceedingly That was the statement made by ::\fr. Morgan in· fortunate owners. I quite; agree with the remark his manifesto, and when we come to the made by the Secretary for Lands that in conse Governor's Speech uf thA same year it says on quence of our hnposing this betterrr1ent rato on page 4- thi; area he will not-apart altogether from Among the various mettns b:v which my advisers hope his desire-he will not be CLhle to charge so large to promote the agricultural industry is the construction a price for Crown lands there-he will have to of ehcap linE,, of raihvay on terms which will not charge a lower pric(', Every person knows, and bnrden the taxpayer with any portion of the cost it is a quite legitimate thing, that if they have thereoL to pay the betterment thev onght to be able to \V hat can It mean? It can only mean one thing, purcha,e the Crown bnds without regard to the and that is that the Government meant in con value which will be given to these lands by the nection with Jig ht line' to agricultural di,;tricts railway. · -which have been so m nch spoken of for the Hon. R. PHILP: Y on admit that a land tax last four or five years-that whoever g-ot the lowers the value of land. benefit from those lines would have to pay for The PREMIER: Any payment, no matter that benefit. That is the point all the time. what you call it, must necessarily lower the \Vhen the Dalbv to Cattle Creek Hail way Bill value of that land. was going through in 1904 the question was Hon. E. B. :B'oRREST : That applies to private raised by a large nurnber of n1ernberH \vith regn,rd land, as well as to public land, does it not? to the fact that the line went through freehold property, and there was a distinct prorr,ise made The SPEAKER: Order, order ! at that time that the people who were going to The PREMIER: This Bill is introduced to get the benefit of that particular line should be keep faith with the House, and because it are. At that time it '"'" necessary for them in the nc·:tr future, be brought under the provi to get into office, and they laid these thing,; sions of a Bill similar to this, and this line from before the electors of the country, I may say Dalby to Bell be exempted from it? Why entirely regardless of what the consequences should not the line from \Varwick to Goondi would be. \V e are dealing with one of the con windi be brought under the betterment prin sequences just now. Instead of being a benefit ciple? Why should a line which is supported by to the State, it will involve and it will burden Labour members-- the people of the State ; and so they propose to The SPEAKER: Order ! Other lines are not put it upon the shoulners of the people who before the House at the present time. The hon. were intended to carry it under the policy on member must deal with thi,, Bill only. which the late Government went to the country. The hon. member for Dalby has blamed this side J\fr. ,J. LEAHY: I want to show that the of the House for forcing some policy on the Go same principle should apply to other lines as to vernment in connection with this line. Does the this line. hon. gentleman deny that what they are doing The SPEAKER: Then the hon. member will now is the policy on which his late leader went not be in order. to the country, and which the electors ap Mr. J. LEAHY: \Vel!, I have decided on proved of? one thing, and that is to keep in order. Because The SECRETARY FOR PCBLIO LAXDS: \Vhy do this district is represented by the i\linister for you insist upon it in connection with this line Lands, that is no reason why the Dalby to and not in connection with other lines? Cattle Creek Railway should be exempted from Mr. J. LEAHY: Does the hem. gentleman the policy which has been ratified by the State. blame members on this side for keeping the hon. That policy should apply to the whole of the gentleman and his party up to the collar with districts of the State, and there should be no regard to their policy? Do they expect to win favouritism. That is the position the Opposition the suffrages of the electors by placing before take up. Even if the policy b wrong, still, as it them a certain policy and then shrink back has been approved by the State, it should be because of the consequences attaching to that carried out. The hon. member for Dmyton and Toowoomba statecl that the people of the district policy~? If !lien get into office on a Cf'rtain policy, it is our duty to see that they do not in which the railway is situated are being taxed shrink from carrying out that policy, and to see without having an opportunity of saying whether that they take the consequences of. that policy, they approve of this measure. Before the line was started it was distinctly stated t hctt they whether they are good or 1ll. It IS due to the electors of the State to see that what they would have to carry the liability, and that a approved of is carried out ; and the hnn. gentle special Bill would be brought in to deal with it. man proposes to shrink from the policy on which Did the people through whose landd the line he got into office, and he tries to blame members passes "'Y they did not want the rail way? on this side--- Mr. HAW'l'HOHX: No, they impliedly approved The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC L.\NDS : And of it. deservedly so. Mr. J. L:B~AHY: His like a good many cases. Mr. J. LEAHY : I know that the Govern The people want the public expenditure first, ment have stolen all the planks in the policy of and then want to throw the obligation connected members on this side. with that expenditure on the general taxpayers of tbe State. '!'here is a regrettable thing about The SPEAKER: Order! this matter. Up to the time the :Yiinister for Mr. J. LEAHY: I mny he wrong, hut I think Lands got into his present position I had the that is a common thing to do. It is frequently honour of being on fairly friendly terms with done in the Housa of Commons, at all events. him, and he did me the honour, when he was con The SPEAKER : Order ! testing the Dalby electorate, to ask my assistance in \·arious ways. J\lr. J. LEAHY: At all events, the G Mr. MACARTNEY : The railway might only right on the part of the Committee to lack certain conveniencts, in cmnn1on with other accept the amendment of the hon. member for railways. That wa; stated, yresterday, to he the Cunningbam. Until the line was properly case with the line to the border, but it could not equipped by proper trucking-yards, not only at be said that that line was not completeIr. L i.ND : He would find half a dozen. The SECRETARY l<'OR RAILWAYS: If it is pos sible to finish by January, I will have it done. Mr. TOL:\IIE : The unfortunate thing was I will push it on all I can. that our territory w,ls so hi[' that members had a very indifferent knowledge of the various parts Mr. BARNES : That should help them to of the State. If the hon. member who had come to an inteliigent vote on the question. He spoken were to traverse the district he would find did not wish to give a vote which would place scores of people settled on 320-perhaps 160 acres the ~ecretarv for Lands or any other 1nernber in -up to 640 acres ; and at the present time, and an unjnst pZ>sition; bnt, on the other hand, the for some time to come, these people must con principle had been >tdopted by the House tinue largely to 1nake thrir living frmn grazing rig-htly or wrong-ly, and it seemed to him that with a few hundred sheep. Unless they had a they were having now a taste of what would proper equipment to take the product of their come later on in connection with the railway lambs and sheep themselves to market, by the lines built under the 3 per cent. guarantee. time they had travelled them the 20 or 30 miles to Dalby they had depreciated in VJlue. This line HoN. R PHILP said the Minister for Lands had gone into the district for the purpose of had appealed to both sides nf the House. assistinr;- in that direction, but, as had been The SECilETAHY FOR Pum,rc LANDS : I did pointed out, the line at the present time was not not appeal specially to you. properly equipped to do that work, and it might be March or April before it was ready. HoN. R. PHILP: Yes, to both sides. He thought the hon. member for Dalby ought to be J\'[r. BARNES: That remark applies to other the last man in the House to appeal for fair play, lines. because he had never given it. Mr. TOLMIE: He knew the Cleveland line was not thoroughly equipped, but it was more The CHAIRL\IAN : Order ! thoroughly equipped than the line from Dalby HoN. R. PHILP : He intended to vote for to Bell. But, se~ing it was the first time it had the amendment, not specially to help the hon. come into operation, and the selectors there did member for Dalby or the Dalby district, but to not fully realise the extent to whiCh they were make a precedent in future for lines built under liable to pay for losses, he thought it would be the Railways Act. He had tried to reduce the [Mr. Macartney. Dalby-Cattle Creek Railway. [7 DECEMBER.] Lands for Closer Settlement. 2127 rate of interest from 3 to 2 per cent., but he got was any timber in Queensland and any men to do no help from members representing agricultural the work to put up those yards by January, it interests. would be done. Mr. MAXN : Yes you did ; we reduced it from TheSEORETARYFOR Pt;BLIOLANDS: 4 to 3 per cent. He hoped the memb'cr for Onnningham would Hox. R. PHILP: These new lines for the accept the assurance of the Secretary for Rail first four or five years would never pay, and ways, as it would meet the cttse. He thought some consideration ought to be given. Here that the member for Cunningham had associated was a line on which apparently some of the himself with a sound principle in regard to rail improvements bad not been erected, and they ways constructed in small corr1n1unitie8. Before would find that that would be the case on every the people in the benefited area should be called line in QtJeensland-all the conveniences were U]Jon to make good any deficit in a line of rail never finished. He would vote for the amend way, the rail way should be brought to such a state ment, because they had really given Dalby that it was able to perform the functions of a twelve months without paying anything at all, railway in that community. and on the understanding that every other line ::\Ir. G RA YSOX: After hearing what had built undr this Act should get a similar pre been said by the J\linister for l{ailways, he ference. would withdraw his amendment, with the con The 8EORETARY l<'OR RAILWAYS: sent of the Committee. The amendment moved by the hon. member for Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Cunning-ham was a most perniciom one, and if approved by the Committee its effect might be Mr. HARDACRE : He said he had supported very widespread. Any district could come along this Bill because of the introduction of the and say, "\Ve have not got a weighing machine" betterment principle into it. In case of any or" \Ve have not got a loading bank," and so misunder'~tanding, he would say that he did not for one reason or another it would be whittled think it was absolutely on the betterment prin away and put off. He sincerely hoped the Com ciple; but it was the nearest approximation to mittee would not accept the amendment. that that was proposed, and therefore he voted for the Bill. Mr. P. J. LEAHY ( Warrego): He was in a Question put and passed. great difficulty over this matter. If the Govern On 8chedule I.-" Description of Dalby to ment were united he would know how to vote, Cattle Creek Hail way district"- but he could not quite make up his mind. The people in this district had this railway Mr. HAWTHORN asked on what principle forced upon them without being asked anything the schedule was framed? about it. The SECRETARY FOri RAILWAYS: The SECRE'fARY lWR RAILWAYS: They were \Vhen he moved the second reading of the Bill, very quie,cent. he had explained the principle. It included the Mr. P. J. LEAHY: If they could "temper area which would naturally trend towards the the wind to the shorn lamb," it would not be an railway line. The reason the boundary did not unreasonable thing to do. He congratulated the go farther \V est was that the area there deli :Minister for Lands on the manner in which he mitated was the benefited area, which legitimately had effaced himself in regard to this Bill. They came under it. ought to look at the matt8r in the broadest pos Mr. RYLA?\D thought the town of Dalby sible light, and, as the leader of the Opposition was distinctly in tLe benefited area. Toowoomba had pointed out, if they accepted this amend would also benefit very largely indeed from the ment they must deal with all railways built railway, and he asked the Minister if he would under the Act of 1!106 in a similar manner. '!.'hey accept an amendment that after should let the burC:en fall as lightly as possible [7 p.m.] the word "Rosalie" the words -on the people in the benefited area. That was "town of Da\by and city of Too what the Opj.JOsition always advocated, and it woomba" be inserted? The farmers in the area was because of that he intended to snpport the shown in the ma]J would ask, "Are we the only amendment. It was rc.tlly a small matter; in persons who benefit by this railway? What fact, it was so small that it was a remarkable about Toowoomba ?" thing that the :Vlinister did not accept it at once. Mr. Tm~MIE : Brisbane wiii benefit more than This line, like all new lines, would not pay for Toowoomba. some yf:ars to come; and, if this line was not Mr. RYLAXD: EvEry thousanct people who going to pay, he should like to know what chance were settled on the Darling Downs would mean there waK of the lines passed under the 1:106 Act paying? He hoped the Minister would recognise an increase in the value of property in Too the common sense of the matter, and he would woomba. be doing a graceful thing by accevting the amwd Schedules I. and II. put and passed. ment. The Hou"e resumed. The CnAWMAN re The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: ported the Bill without amendment, and the The reason given for postponing the date did not third reading was made an Order of the Day for apply in this case. If these yards were not built to-morrow. on the 1st of January, then in all fairness if any cattle or other stock which would have been LANDS FOR CLOSER SETTLEMENT trucked on that line had to be bken to Dalby, SPECIAL PURCHASE BILL. if a certificate was gi Yen by the owner of the stock to the Commissioner, then he would see SECOND READING. that the railway got a portion of the credit in The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS : regard thereto. A fairer thing than that could This measure has been bro>~ght in in order that not be done. If the hon. member for Cunning we may have land ready to meet an early ham did not appreciatf the principle of the Blll demand for country of this particular kind. It when it was brought before the House originally, may be asked why we are introducing this Bill why did he not deal with this matter then? He in view of the passage of another measure of a was not going to be a pRrty to an amendment similar kind. The answer is that there is at the like this, as it would only be leaving the way present time so urgent a demand for country -open for .all kinds of whittling away. If there that it would be inadvisable, in the public Hon. J. '1'. Bell.] 2128 Lands for Closer Settlement [ASSEMBLY.J Special Purchase Bill. interests, to wait until the measure that has The SECRETARY }'OR PUBLIC LANDS: recently gone to another place can come- into As far as I am aware they are not bound to ac operation. It must be a number of months at cept those reports, bnt when I found that they the earliest before any estate pnrchaHecl under were not pre!Jared to go in the face of the reports its provisions ( :1n be thrown open to Relection. which had been made, I thought there w.ts no \Ve have acqnirecl three estates pmctically in necessity to bother them any more about the the way we should under one of the systems matter. I got reports from other men who did which the Bill alrrady before Parliament pro· not get £1,000 a year, and who are not called a vide9. \V e had tbe estates inspected; and we Land Cnurt, but who, for all the purposes of made an offer, Yrhich the owners acce}Jted; and judgmg land and giving a O'ounrl. reliable opinion the agreements are embodied in this Bill. In upon it, are quite as good as any other authority. order to expedite matters, there are surveyors They inspected the lands, and made their report. now on those three place,--certainly on two of I also sent them to Kilcoy and \Voolooga, and them. The main reason for this Bill is that we men better fitted to report on a matter of this should acquire some good country in those kind you cannot find in the State of Queensland. localities at the earliest possible date. It will be l<'rom my knowledge of the demand for land I quite early in the new year, if this measure believe that these lands will really go off at the passes, when these estates will be open to prices at which we are purchasing these estates. selection; and I have :no hesitation is assuring I beg to move that the Bill be now read "' second the House that they will be readily taken up at time. these prices. A railway runs through \Voolooga. Hox. R. PHILP : I hardly think we should Mr. J. LEAHY: \Vill the betterment principle rush a Bill of this importance through the be applied to it? House at this stage of the 'ession. \Ve have an Act on the statute-book at the present time The SECRETARx FOR PUBLIC LANDS: enabling the Government to buy £100,000 worth Near \Voolooga quite recently I threw o!Jen a of lane! a year, and we are passmg a Bill under small area of land, which was readily bought at which they cnn purchase £500,000 worth in any a price. That land was some distance from the one year, and surely the Government could buy railway, and was no better than a great deal of the' on the land, even supposing the land is fine of land. For many months the purchase of grazing and dairying country. I do not think '\Voolooga and Kilcoy has been under the atten that even a fair proportion of this 7,000 acres tion, not only of this Chamber, but of selectors will be suitable for agriculture. I presume that generally, and opportunities have been afforded the Minister, in deciding to purchase this parti for making inquiries as to the character of the land. cular estate, intends to have it surveyed in suffi :B'rom inquiries I have made, I am led to believe cient areas for a man to carry on dairying suc that \Voolooga is an estate that will sell very cesclfully, and at the very least the area of rapidly indeed. It is one of the finest properties a selection should be fi40 acres. About nine at present in Queensland for dairying and agri months ago an Estate of 9,000 acre01, in my elec cultural pnrpose-;. The same may be said of torate-the South Canning Downs Estate-was Kilcoy. The purchase of Mount Debateable may offered to the Government at £2 2s. an acre, and be influenced by the fact that there are so many that would have been one of the cheapest bar thousands of acres of Crown land that will be gains the Government have ever made. I do not made available if this small area is secured. know why the Minister did not accept that offer. The main argument that should appeal to the The PREii!IER : Is that in the Bill? Chamber is that there is a desire on the part of Mr. GRAYSON: No, I am opeaking of re people to acquire this land, and if the Minister purchased estates generally. is aRsured that the land will be taken up readily, I think this Chamber will do as it has done Mr.• T. LEAHY : His argument is that it should in years gone by-give every facility for settling be in the Bill. people on the land. It is no new experience in :Mr. GRAYSON: That s: (4) Hew;ily I11fc,tecl.-About 208 acres c' audy report all through, with regard to :Haunt D~ country, so heavily infe~ted with prickly pear tl: ::t its bateable I say it is not wise on the part of tins value, if' cleared. of pear, wouhl b9 less than ttc to~t of eradicatiOn. Valued at nil. House to accept it, and it is a great pity the Minister in his wisdom brought in a Brll sand Tbe sonthern part of the freehold, comnrisin;:;- por tions 10, 23, 3S, 5:3, and the southern part of :Portion 109, wiching one estate which is not worth the price has been classified as follows:- put upon it between two others whrch are pro (5) Ag;·icz~.'!ural Lancl.-About 2.S9l acres of well bably well worthy of being purchased by the grassed, ringbarked, or lightly-timbered ironbark, Government. I have been over the three estates blood wood, and box slopes, and fiats ''nth deep black, mentionerl here, and the report on ·Mount brown, red, and chocolate volcanic soils-all excellent Debateable seems to be v-r;tten without ex agricultnralland with occasional plants of prickly pear aggeration. scattered over the area. Yalued at 32s. 6d. per acre. (6\ Pastoral.- About 1,100 acres of 1vell-gras:::.ed, ring Mr. TOL1l!E : \Vhat is the character of the barked or lightly timbered with iron bark and blood leasehold at Mount Debateal;le? wood slopes of good red and brO\YU soil, with stony Mr. JENKINSON: As a matter of fact it is surface, or being too steeply inclined for general agricultnral purposes, together with a fHnall area of even worse than the freehold portions. It is good well-grassed low ridges snd slopes of granite formation grazing land, but thoroughly infested with -an with occasional pla.nts of prickly pear scattmed noxious weeds. One has only to go to Gayndah over the art tu know what I am doing before ··oting for the settlement, to get rid of the pear. The hon. repnrchaf'e of an estate like this. (H~ar, hear !) m ern her for :F'aBsifern gave the very best reason I cannot vote for the repurchase of an estate why this estate should be repurchased, and the which is covered by prickly pear. The Crown report bears that out too. It says on page 2- lands of the \V estern uistrict are getting infe~ted rrhe whole nrea is suitable for settlement; the rich with prickly pear. If we go to the Condamine river flats and slopes for agricultural purposes, and the township we see one of the most dismal sights rougher country for grazing. There are patches and caused by the prickly pear which is growing up all isolated plants of prickly pear along the river frontage on the leasehold ; but, although the pear is not yet so around. Yet the Government come down with dense as to discourage settlement, the country is in a Bill like this. No doubt it is going to suit danger of serious infestment. members living in that district. Hon. R. PHILP: It is your own Government. That is the best reason why this estate should be repurcha, Mr. BOUCHARD (Brisbmw South) : I have This land was parted with in the first instanc< read carefully the reports on these estate,, and for a mere song, and now it is propo,,ed to buy it more particularly the report on Mount Debateable back again at a big price, and the hon. member Estate, and I have listened to the speech of the is willing to perpetuate that sort of thing, and to hon. member for Burnett, who has confirmed the say that the land may again be alienated. \V hile report of the experts, which, I have been told by those who are not the statute-book that makes tbe owner clear his particularly interested in the matter, but who pear off. It will remain as it i" now, and infest know the locality, is worth £5 to £6 Mr. SPENCER: I have never seen any. Mr. NIELSOK : I am referring to some of the Something is said with regard to the value of lands under discussion. Mr. George Phillips, the fencing. There is 114 chains mentioned, but the Government expert, made a report on the it does not describe what that is. In another identical land, which I am quoting to Hhow how place it describes a top rail and two-wire fence it agrees with some of the arguments which had valued at £20 a mile. That fence has been up for been raised about the :Mount Debateable land. ten years. Anybody knows that a two-wire fence The question of the leasehold land has been used with one rail, which has been up for ten years, as an argument why we should purchase the free is certainly not worth that. There is nothing hold. He says from what he has positively seen here in favour of the purchase at all. The he is of opinion that 41 per cent. of the whole whole thing seems to be infested with pear, and area might be classed as cultivable land, and the State has .•nfficient millions of acrf'S infested one-fourth of that would be of superior quality. with pear at present which we cannot get any Kow, if this report is correct-as I take it to be body to take up at any price at all. In my own and there is only 5 per cent. badly infested with district there are millions of acres which people prickly pear, which in the synopsis is valued at will not take as a gift. I certainly think the nil, the only fault I can find in the report is the Mini,ter will never get people to take up land statement referring to 208 acres of sandy land, which is heavily infested, when he cannot get badly infested, which, if cleared, would be of lightly infested land taken up. less value th9,n the cost of eradication, and all The SECRETARY FOR PcBLIC LA:"DS: Twenty I wish to know about that is-\V bat would be thousand acres of pear land has be9n taken up the cost of clearing the badly infested country ? this year. It stands to reason that if it costs more to clear the land of prickly pear than it will be worth Mr. SPENCER: In my own district some after it is cleared, no one will take it up, even at pear land has been selected, bnt no interest is the price of nil, as stated by the hon. member taken in it ; they are not carrying out their for Maranoa; and, therefore, if the prickly pear duties in a good many cases, and wme of them be eradicated on this estate, the State mnAtcome have no more hope of clearing the pear than to its assistance either directly or indirectly. I they have of flying. presume the onlv manner in which the Minister for Lands will come to the assistance of selectors The SECRETARY FOI\ 'PUBLIC LANDS : You have recommended some of the applicants yourself. on blocks of land actually infested will be to 1nake a reduction in price, or give some conces Mr. SPENCI,JR: Yes, but I have only sion in terms, and he would be quite right in recommended it where the ]Jear is thin. I doing that; but we are entitled to know what would not recommend anyone to take it up would be the loss in consequence of the clearing where it is thickly infested. They have a bard being greater than the subsequent value of the job where it is thinly infested, even if they get it land. I am not much afraid of buying an estate for nothing. I hope the Minister will nut pro because it happens to have 5 p~r cent. of value ceed with the Mount llebateable purchase. less land. I am perfectly satisfied that if the \Vith regard to the others, from what I can hon. m em her for :i\famnoa was asked to buy a hear, the land is very good, and the report mob of lOO horses at £2 10s. or £5 per head, just seems very favourable. \Ve have a large amount because five of them were no good he would not of our own prickly pear land, and the only way reject the balance. The question i": Are we to get it taken up is for nil. I would give 640 paying on the whole a fair value for the land? acres of land, where there is only a little prickly And so far nobody has convinced me that the pear, to people coming up from the south for Government are asked to pay too much for the nothing. The Minister cannot have had much estate as a whole. experience in connection with prickly pear, or Hon. R. PHILP : How do you make out that he would be very chary about taking up land there is only 5 per cent. of prickly pear ? with pear on it. Mr. NIELSON: It says so on page 2. * Mr. NIELSON (.1fusg>-cn·e) : The criticism of Hon. R. PHILP: It says 1,200 acres, more or hon. members has been offered mostly against less. the Mount DebatealJle land. They will see from Mr. KIELSON': On page 2, in the synopsis, the synopsis of the report that there is only 5 per it says 5 per cent. In the Lower Burnett we cent. of the land badly infested with prickly have the Noogoora burr, nut grass, and other pear. I agree with the :Minister when he says pests from the upper end of the Burnett, and we that in order to prevent the spread of this pest get sprinklings of prickly pear coming down it is advisable that the country should be cJ<,-;ely presumably by flood waters or otherwise, and settleii. I have here a report, which was pre unless something is done that sprettd will con sented by Mr. Gen. Pbillips to the Minister for tinue. In the lower part of the Burnett as far Lands, on 14th March, 1905. In his report on as Gayndah there are stretches of land not closely the Gaynclah la.nds he refers to .Mount Debate settled, and nothing will be done to cope with able in this way- the spread of prickly pear or other pests until The Mount Debateable lands extend on either side of we get it closely settled. The only way to get the Burnett River. The pnrt on the left or northern rid of prickly pear, rabbits, or any other pests, is side of the r1ver comprises the greater part of l\Iurray's plateau, already described, and some excellent forest by close settlement. The prickly pear is not all land at the head of Philpott's Creek. in one block, and I presume that if the land is The part south of the river comprises the western purchased it will be surveyed and sold in such a and "'Outhern part of the ~~oodn1illar Scrub, as well as way that only bits of prickly pear will go into some good forest land on the middle section of Aran each selection. The ::\Iinister told us that one banga ot• Deep Creek. of the conditions will be that the pear must be There must be 28,000 acres of scrub land on ::\Iount eradicated before the purchasers can obtain their Debateable, of which about 17,000 acres is on deeds. The whole thing is in the hands of the ~furray's plateau and 6,000 acres in tlw Woodmillar Minister for Lands and his department to eradi Scrub, of which I have a high opinion, as the soil is very rich and the land is easily accessible. cate the pear or otherwise. \Ve have his assur ance that be will take every precaution to do it. The SPEAKER : Order! I would ask the It may be argued whether it is a (iaod thing to hon. member if this report is connected with the buy these estates as a matter of principle or matter under consideration ? He will not be in otherwise. If we were asked to spend £100,000 order in reading a report on any other lands on estates, it might be argued that it would be except those included in the Bill. better to spend £100,000 in building lines into [Mr. Spencer. Lands fo1' Closer Settlement [7 DECEMBER.] Special PuTchase Bill. 2137 those district~. (Hear, hear!) The Minister for considerable thing, but then we have to take into Lands some six or eight months ago paid a visit consideration that the ieRsehold will fall in in to the Burnett district, and he came back and 1908, which is only two years' time. I do not advertised it as a veritable land of Goshen. vV e think the spread of the prickly pear pest is going know that £100,000 wonld nearly pay for the to be so rapid in the next two years as to justify extension of the railway line to Dalgangal, and us in saddling ourselves with a large area of prac then open up 300,000 acres of Crown land, which, tically worthless land. I sincerely hope tbat, according to an expert, is fit for closer settle when the measure gets into Committee, the ment, and accordin'{ to the same expert would Minister may see his way to accept some amend enhance the value of the Crown land by at least ment in cl:1use 3, and that the purchase of the £100,000. \Voolooga Estate will be agreed to, and that it Hon. R. PHILP : '£hen why don't you build will be thrown open to the public at an early the rail way? date. l\Ir. :i'\IELSON: That would be a legitimate * Mr. BARBER (Btu,daberg): While I feel argument against the purchase of these estates. strongly inclined to support the repurchase of There are only two other arguments-whether the the \Voolcoga and Kilcoy Estates, I land is reqnired for close settlement, and whether [9 p.m.] certainly have a very strong objec- the price we are paying is reasonable or not. I tion to the Government repurchas am not personally acquainted with lHount De ing the Mount Debateable :!<~state. I notice at bateable, but I have seen portion of Woolooga. the end of the report the names of three Govern I heard some months ago that the Minister had ment officials, one of them being that of Mr. signed a preliminary agreement for the purchase Charlton. It is generally recognised in the Bur of \Voolooga, and I made it my business to nett district-especially in the Bundaberg dis inquire into that estate and find out all I could trict-that Mr. Charlton is about the best about it. In my inquires I was told by a man authority in Queensland on the Burnett bnds, who ought to know that the Government is not and he seems to have done his work well in this paying too much for that estate. It is impos report. Attached to the report as we received sible for members generally, when the Govf'rn it to-day was a small slip of paper, indicating ment propose to buy an estate, to take a trip that maps wt>re to follow. \Ve bave not gotJ there and walk over the country. They can those maps. only endeavour to get the best information at Mr. FORSYTH: \Ve shall get them to-morrow, their command, and I endeavoured to do that after the debate is ovu. with regard to \Voolooga, and also with regard to Mount Debateable. It is regrettable that Mr. BARB I!;R: I think that hon. members there should be adjace"t to the town of Gayndah would probably have been able to form a better an estate of small area of excellent quality also idea of the condition of the country from the which should be allowed to become infested with maps than we are able to do from the report. this pest prickly pear. It is an equally regret \Ve are told in the report that no feature survey table thing that we have no means to deal with has been made of the Mount Debateable free it on the freehold land, and if we are not pre hold. \Vel!, it struck me, after reading the pared to take the only means we have-that report, that it is just possible that one thing that is, to repurchase it and settle it by some who prevented a survey being made was that the will-- · prickly pear was so thick that it was absolutely Hon. R. PHILP : Is this the only prickly pear impossible for a surveyor to get on to the land. about Gayndah? (Laughter.) I have read the report on Mount Debateable more carefully than the reports on Mr. NIELSON: Unfortunately most of the Kilcoy and \Voolooga, and I have made a note freehold land about Gayndah, including the that the words "heavy" or "heavily infested town allotments, are infested with prickly pear. with pea,r" appear no less than ten times in the Hon. R. PHILP: Why not buy it all up? report. The words " bad" or " badly infested" Mr. NIELSOK: I am in favour of taking it appear five times. "Thick" appears five or six out of the control of the local bodies. The exten times, and "occasional blocks of pear" times in sion of the railway line to Gayndah will settle numerable. Taking that into consideration, and closely any land within a reason:1ble distance of what I consider to be the very apologetic speech of that line. This land is within that reasonable the member for the district in favour of the repur distance, and the .Minister has it within his chase of this estate, it seems to me that the case power to make the conditions such that, at any for the repurchase is a very weak one. (Hear, rate, one large blot on that part of the country hear !) \Vhile the Secretary for Lands was will be removed, and I hope it will be the speaking be used the personal pronoun about beginning of a general removal of that pest from twenty-seven times. He told us what he in the Burnett district. Personally, I can see no tended doing with this property if it was bought. reason for not supporting the purchase of these One would think that the hon. gentleman was estates. absolutely certain that he was going to be the * Mr. RANKIN (Bw·1·1un) : I intend to sup head of the department in the next Parliament. port the sec0nd reading of this Bill. The expert (Laughter.) \Ye are now on the eve of a disso who reported on these lands is, as the Minister lution, and none of us are certain that we shall for Lands pointed out, a man well qualified to ever come back. As the song says- give us some idea of the value of the land. It It may be for aye, and it may be for ever. appears to me that the case is "damned with faint praise" so far as Mount Debateable is con And that may be the case with any of us when cerned; and when we come to the Committee we leave here this time, There is a very large stage it will probably bA desirable for the area of Crown lands in the Burnett district, espe Minister to eliminate that estate altogether. cially in the Upper and Northern Burnett, and \Vith reference to \Voolooga, that is an estate the Government could throw that land open to with which I am fairly well familiar. \Vhether selection instead of buying this estate. Some it is advisable to go in for the repurchase of months ago I accompanied the Minister on his estates is another matter, but with regard to memorable tour through the Burnett district, vVoolooga, with regard to the price, with respect and just before reaching Gayndah the prickly to situation and with respect to closer settlement, pear seemed so thick, by the moonlight, to some I think the State will be on perfectly safe ground. of us who were nervous and timid that we came The only item in favour of Mount Debateable to the conclusion that it must be a tremendous is the saivation of the leasehold, which i~ a very army of ghosts. It seemed to me in the day- Mr. Barber.] 21:38 Lands for Closer Settlement [ASSEMBLY.] Special Purchase Bill. )ight, a.~ well as at night, that it was absolntely less than the valuation of these experts. \Vith mtposswle to get on to some of the land about regard to the suggestion which has been made Gayndah for the prickly pear. that we should clear some of this land of prickly ::\Ir. JoNES: That was the town common. pear, r.nd then offer it to selectors, surely we have any quantity of prickly pear infested Crown 1\lr. BARBER : I notice from the report that land on which such an experiment can be tried, there seems to be more pur on the freehold than without repurchasing land for that purpose. on the leasehold, and yet we haYe been told \V e have hundreds and thousands of acres of thousand<. of times in thi' House that tbe free first-class agricultuml laud infested with prickly holder alw,.ys keeps his land clearer of prickly pear, and it would be infinitely better to clear pc·ctr and other noxious weeds than the le.,se that land for selectors than to purchase !and holder. I shall support the second reading of which is so infested, anrl then clear it for the Bill ; but in Committee I hope to see the settlement. On the whole I am inclined to proposal to repurchase the Mount Debateable think that it will be very unwise to purchase the Estat~ eliminated. I shall certainly vote for its Monnt Debateable Estate, especially at the OffilSSlOn. price offered, which is altogether too high. If the :Ylinister for Lands will eliminate that ::\Ir. FORSYTH : I would like to ask the estate from the Bill he will have a better chance :Minister whether he received any information of passing it, but if he determines to retain the at all as to the valuations of the local authori three estates I shall vote against the second· ties in regard to these estates? As a rule, we reading of the Bill. have thut information given to us. I do not belifwe that the local authority valuations are ;yrr. BURI~OWS (Charte,·s Tvu·ers): I shall always correct. They are often very low, while oppose the inclusion of the Mount Debateable they are sometimes high. At the same time Estate in the Bill. \Vhile I invariably give due they are an indication of what the value of th~ weight to the utterances of the Minister for land is. I believe it will be found that the Lands, I am bound to say that in view of the valuation of the local authority is very much lower reports we have before us it is a Chinese puzzle than the value given in these reports. One to me how it is that we are asked to support the thing which has struck me as somewhat remark purchase of such land. \Ve have large areas of able is the following statement in the report of prickly pear land that we cannot give away, and lVIr. Mules, one of the experts who reported it seems absolutely absurd to purchase other upon Mount Debateable- land infested with prickly pe!tr. It would be advisable to buv Card well's block of 80 The SECRETARY l!'OR PUBLIC LANDS: Don't acr~s, ~nd include it in the "Jiol1nt Debateable holding, as 1t 1s not fenced, and has a double frontage to a forget its geographical position. It is near a likely-looking gully for water, and is a magnificent railway. :piece of land, every inch good. I understand £80 will Mr. BURROWS : I do not mind the geo buy it. graphical position. For years past we have When the Minister for Lands was speaking u been repeatedly told in this Chamber that the second time he called attention to a "maanifi only way in which we can get rid of prickly cent" piece of land. Curd well's block i; de pear is to sell the land and make it freehold. scribed as a "magnificent" piece of bnd, and we He pointed out that this prickly pear land is all are told that it can be bought for £1 an acre. freehold land. I intend to support the second Yet we are asked to pay £1 5s. an acre for the reading, but I shall vote against the purchase of Mount Debateuble freehold, which contains Mount Debateable. good, bad, and indifferent land, and we are told that in doing so we shall be making a good bar Question-That the Bill be now read a second gain. \Vhy should we buy a small block of SO time-put; and the House divided :- acres, as recommended by the expert? Another AYES, 27. feature that I notice in connection with this Mr. Barber ilir. Land estate is that some of the land is heavily infested .Barton ):I ann with prickly pear. The expert reports 'that some , Bell , ~Iurphy 1,200 acres are more or less heavily infested with , Blair Nielson prickly pear, and states that this is 5 per cent. Bouchard Norman ,. Bridges O'Brien of the whole area. But it appears to me that if Burrows O'SuJlivan 1,200 acres out of 5,262 acres are infested with , Cowap ·paget prickly pear, that is a gn•at deal more than 5 , Denham Paul! per cent. of the whole holding. It is a most re , Dibley Ryland markable thing that, in spit<> of the fact that the , Fudge ~omerset experts have condemned "' gre"t portion of the , Grayson Spencer ., Hargrcaves Turner land, they should eay, "The vendors offer you Kids ton the land for £7,500, and we recommend you to Tellers: 11r. Turner and J.lr. Land. accept their offer." The SECRETARY POR PUBLIC LAXDS : The NoEs, 6. J.Ir. Bowman :llr. Kerr vendor wanted more than that i u the first in , Porrest , P. J. Leahy stance. The price has come down. ,, Jenldnson , Philp Mr. FORSY'I'H: There i, nothing in the Tellers: )!r. }'orgyth and Mr. J'. J. Leahy. reports to show that they wanted more than that; PAIRS. they simply say that they recommend the accept ance of the vendor's offer. Now that the Min Aye-)lr. Scott. ;';'o-)!r. Lindley. ister for Lands is present, I should like to ask Resolved in the affirmative. the hon. gentleman if he has any idea what the local uuthority's valuation of the land is? PROPOSED CmnnTTAL. The SECRETARY FOR Pt:BLIC LANDS : That is The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS ' not worth much. J\oir. Speaker,-I move that you do now leave the Mr. J<'ORSYTH: Have you got it? chair, and the House be put into Committee of the Whole to consider the B1ll in detail. The SECRETARY FOR PUBMC LANDS: ::'\ o. HoN. R. PHILP: I do not think it is fair to Mr. FORSYTH: I feel certuin that the the House to go into Committee on the Bill. \Ve valuation of the local uuthority is a great deal have no information. \Ve have no plans. The [Mr. Barber. Lands for Closer Settlement. [7 DECEMBER.] Surcession Bill. 2139 Bill has been brought in in a most slipshod man Hox. R. PHILP : He was not in the habit of ner. \Ve are told that the plans are to follow, changing his opinions; when he made a state but where are they? \Ve could go on with other ment he adhered to it. Nobody had changed business, and take this Bill on Tuesday. \Ve his opinions often er than the Minister for Lands. ought to have all the information that it is pos '' :Mr. P. J. LEAHY: He wanted to bring sible to give about these purchases. one fact under the notice of the Committee. The PREMIER : \Vhat information do you Only on agricult'ural land did it pay to clear want? prickly pear. If it wrrs ]JODr land it would never Ho". R. PHILP : \Ve want the plans. pay to do so. Per•-ons who knew most about it The PRE}!IER: \Vould you really look at the were of opinion that prickly pear could only be plans? kept down by constant cultivation, and you could not cultivate poor land. HoN. R. PHILP : Of course I would. Some members have hardly read the reports, and Clause 3 pnt and negatived. know nothing of these proposed purchases. I do Clauses 4, 5, G, and preamble, put and paRsed. not think it is fair to ask us to go on with the The Hou"e resumed. The 0HAIR1IAN reported Bill to-night. the Bill with an amendment. The PREMIER: The hon. gentleman is The Bill, as amended, was taken into con somewhat unreasonable. sideration, and its third reading made an Order of the Day for Tuesday next. Hon. R. PHILP: Y on are. The PREMIER: The hon. gentleman knows SUCCESSION BILL. quite v. ell that if we do not pass the Committee stage to-night, and finish our business on Tues SECOND READING. day, it will be impossible to pass the Bill at all. The ATTORNEY-GEXERAL (Hon. J. W. As a matter of fact, it consists of three clauses, Blair, Ipswich): This i~ a very short Bill which and there are no details. I ventnre to say that has come to us from another place, consisting of if the hon. gentleman had the plans he would be practically one clause. The object of it is to put no wiser. the real and personal estate of a married woman Hon. R. PHILP: You know nothing about it, who die~ intestate after the Bill becomes law on apparently. exactly the same footing as the real and personal The PREMIER: I think he might trust the estate of a man who dies intestate. Hon. mem Lands Department and the Minister to see that bers are aware that a married woman could the plans are all right. always make a will of lands of which she was seized to her separate use, provided there was no Hon. R. PHILP : I would not trust the restraint on anticipation. Before the Married Minister with a farthing candle. \Voman's Property Act of 1890, what was called Question put and passed. " acknowledgment" was necessary in all cases where the land to be dealt with was not held by the married woman to her separate use. CmnnTTEE. A further power of disposing of property by will was conferred by the Intestacy Act of 1877, section Clauses 1 and 2 put and passed. 52. Then, by section 3 of the .Married \V omen's On clause 3-" Purcha.sc of Mount Debateable Property Act it was provided that a married Estate"- woman should practically have the same powers Ho". R. PHILP: He intended to vote against as any other person in disposing by will of real the clause. There was sufficient evidence before and personal property. Section 13 of the In the Committee to show that that testacy Act of 1877 provides-" All land of any [9.30 p.m.] was not a desirable estate to pur- deceased person whereof he shall not have chas'e. 1,200 acres were infested, dispoqed by his will shall be devisable and dis and 200 acres were so bad that it would not pay tributable in the samu manner as personal estate to clectr it. The Government had cleared 150 is now devi,able and distributable and amongst acres at J"ondaryan at a cost of .£20 an acre. the Dame persons and the curator or other How did they know that this land would not administrator shall administer and distribute the cost .£30 an acre to clear? The leasehold would same accordingly." The manner in which fall in in two years, and that would be time personal property is devisa.ble and distributable enough. The Government had plenty of prickly is set out in section 29 and the following sections pear land of their own, without buying- more. of the Succession Act of 1867, re-enacting the He understcod that only recently they had g-iven old statute of distributions. That, shortly sum 2,000 acres of it away for nothing. The Gayndah marised, amounts to this: If a man dies intestate, district was full of pear, and if the Government one-third of his property goes to his wife and the wanted to buy up all the infested land there rest is distributed amongst his children. with the idea of eradioating it they would be Hon. R. PHTLP : Don't stonewall your own entering into a very big contract indeed. Bill. The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: The ATTORXEY-GE:NERAL: If he has no They were buying land further from Gayndah child one half goes to the wife, and the other than that freehold and leasehold area, and they half is distributed to the next-of-kin. If there would have the anomaly existing of getting a is no wife the property is to be distributed fair amount of settlement further away from amongst the children, or if there is no child then the railway head, and that barrier interposing amoni'St the next-of-kin in equal degree. The between the settlers and the railway. The ban. object of the Bill is simply to place a married member seemed to think that two year· meant woman in exactly the same position in which her nothing where prickly pear was concerned ; pro husband would be with regard to property in bably within twenty-four hour>; he would express respect to which he died intestate. There is a very different opinion. He could confidently nothing to take exception to in the Bill, and I assure the Committee thttt no mistake would be now move the second rea,iing. made if the land was bought. There would be HoN. R. PHILP: I cannot understand the no lease, and the freehold land would be taken hon. gentleman making- a long lawyer-like dis up at the statutory advance, and they had a sertation over a simple Bill like this. The object check to prickly pear. is to put the husband and wife in exactly the Hon. R. Philp.] 2140 Contrartors' anrl [ASSEMBLY.j Workmen's Lien Bill. same position. From the hon. gentleman's 2\'Ir. MAOARTNEY : '\Vill you amend the defini remarks, we do not half understand it now. I tion? take it that the present law is this: if the woman The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC WORKS: dies the husband has the property; if the hus No. He would retain it as it was. band diel-3 the wife and the children divide the property. \Vhy legal men should spf:ilk to lay Question put and passed. men in language which they do not understand, The Council's amendments in lines 41 to 43, I do not know. The Attorney-General has been omitting the words "(cl) The alteration or im stonewalling his own Bill at this late hour of the night. provement of any chattel" as one of the defini tions of "work," was agreed to. Mr. MACARTN:F~Y (To01cong) : I must take exception to the remarks of the leader of the The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC WORKS Opposition. (Laughter.) The spP.ech of the moved that the Council's amendment to omit the Attorney-General, if a little long, was one which words "or subcontractor," in line 47 (now 14) be we could thoroughly understand. I think the Bill disagreed to. It would he necessary to retain isasatisfactoryone, as far adt goes, and a fair one. those words for the reason that the Bill protected At the same time, I think it might have been the wag~'> of subcontractors. more comprehensive and might have dealt with Question put and passed. the very case which the h The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC WORKS On clause 6- thought the hon. member was right The amendments inserting the words "or [10 p.m.J there, and, under the circumstances, he asked leave to withdraw the assents in writing," on lines ·16 and 48, were agreed amendment, and to move that the new clause, to. as amended, be agreed to. The SECHETARY FOR PUBLIC WORKS moved that the Council's amendment omitting Amendment, by leave, withdrawn; and new lines 49 to 53 be disagreed to. This was a matter clause, as amended, put and passed. ' which wa, thoroughly discussed when the Bill On clause 3- was before the Committee previously. The hon. 0n the motion of the SECRETARY FOR member for Toowong then objected to the work PUBLIC ·woRKS, the amendment of the man being given priority for thirty days as Council in line 52, omitting the word "subcon against the mortgagee, and the Council had tractor," was agreed to. taken the same view and omitted the provision. The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC WORKS Question put and passed. moved that the amendment of the Council in The amendment of the Council adding the lines 55 to 57 (now 58 to GO), omitting the words, words "and notwithstanding anything in the "or cloPs or procures to be done any work upon mortgage shall be a debt payable on demand by or in connection with any chattel," be agreed to. the mortgagor to the mortgagee," was agreed to. Mr. MACARTNEY asked what reasor1 there The amendments in clauses 7 and 8 were was for agreeing to the amendment? \Vhen the agreed to. Bill was going through Committee he pointed out that the definition 'of "work·· was by no The am~ndment on line 3± omitting "four means as wide as it might be, particularly in teen " and inserting " seven " agreed to. reference to work upon chattels. The amendments on lines 35 and 38 omitting The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC WORKS: " superior" were disagreed to as being conse In discussing the amendment, he was '"ked if quential on previous disagreements. any case had ever arisen where trouble had Amendment in clause 10, line 59, omitting arisen in connection with work on a chattel. "or the chattel is lying " agreed to. Mr. ::\lACARTNEY: Might there not be trouble ~~t twenty-one minutes past 10 o'clock, in regard to a ship or something of,that kind? Hon. R. PHILP called attention to the state The :::lEURETARY FOR PUBLIC WORKS: of the Committee. A ship was a chattel, but he did not think there was any u~e in rejecting the arnendrnent. Diffi~ Quorum formed. culty v.ould very seldom arise. A person who Clause 12 (now 13)- got possession of a ship for the purpose of doing work on it could retain possession until he was Amendments on lines 16, 27, 28, 30, and 32 paid. The clause only applied to ' chattel which agreed to ; and amendments on lines 17 to 19, remained in the ]JlJsoe>Sion of the employer. 22, and 31 disagreed to. He did not think it was worth contesting the On amendment omitting original clause 13- amendment. ~~mendment agreed to. TheSECRETARY FOR PUBLIC WORKS moved that the amendment be disagreed to. The amendrnent in line fjR omitting the words The provision could not possibly be any detri '' or chattel" was agreed to. ment to the employer. The SECRETARY :FOR PUBLIC WORKS Quection put and passed. moved that the amendment of the Council in the ~ame line, inserting the words, "or upon the Clause H- moneys payable to the contractor, as the case Verbal amendment on line 52 agreed to. may require,., be disagreed to, because it had been inserted in another place under a mis Clause 22- apprehension. This clause only applied to liens Amenclment on line 35 agreed to; and amend upon land and not to charges on money, and ments on lines 32 and 35 disagreed to. some confusion of ideas had apparently arisen in the Council. A later clause dealt with charges Consequential amendments in clause 26 were on money, and therefore the amendment was disagreed to. out of place. On clause 29, line 50- Amendment disagreed to. The SECRETARY FOR .PUBLIC WORKS: The amendments in line 59 omitting the In thi~ clause the Council had added the words, "the work but," and inserting the words, following :- "or wages for his work," and omitting all the Xotwitb~ta.nding auything to the contrary herein words in lines 4 to 7, page 3, were agreed to. contained, all prior registered mortgages, encumbrances, The amendment on line 9 omitting the words liens, estates, and interests shall have priority over such lien or claim of lien. '' ur subcontractor" \VJ.S ag-reed to, with an amend~ ment omitting the words "other than a con He moved that the amendment be agreed to ; tractor." but th;.ct, to bring it into line with The SECRETARY FOlt PUBLIC WORKS [10.30 p.m.] a previous clause, the following moved that the Council's an,endment on line 12 words be added : "subject to the omitting the words "or subcontractor" be dis provisions of section seven hereof.'' agreed to, for the reason that, although the sub Question put and pas,'\ed. contractor was diminated from the Bill, the workman of the subcontractor was retained. On clause 31- Question put and passed. The several amendments made in this clause were agreed to. On clause 5- The amendment omitting "or subcontractor" On clause 34- on line 34, and omitting all the words on lines 34 The amendment in this clause, to omit " prin to 37, was disagreed to, and the other amend cipal" was disagteed to, it being a consequential ments in the clause agreed to. amendment and therefore not required. Hon. T. O'Sullivan.] 2142 Contractors', Etc., Bill. [ASSEMBLY.] Shearers, Etc., Bill. The amendments of the Council omitting SHEARERS AKD SUGAR WORKERS clause 37, and in"erting three new clauses to AOCO.i\J:MOD)cTIOK ACT AMEND follow clause 44, were agreed to. MENT BILL. Schedule- CoN~IDERATION IN co~DIITTEE OF THE LEGISLA The amendments of the Council in Form 1 TIVE COUNCIL',; Aj)fEND}!ENTS. were agreed to ; in Forn1 2, disagreed to; and in Forms 3 and 4, agreed to. The SECRETARY FOR AGRICULTURE (Hon. D. F. Denham, Ox/ep): The Council had The House resumed. The CHAIR>IAN reported inserted the following amendment of the prin that the Committee had disagreed to some of cipal Act of 1S95 :- the Council's amendments, had agreed to others 2. In subsection two or section seven of che principal with amendments, and had agreed to all the Act, the following words are omitted: •· and whenever, others. in the opinion of an inspector, any damage or deface ment has been done, either by design or ne~ligence. by The report was adopted, and the Bill ordered any such person, such inspector shall give to the to be returned to the Legislative Council with employer a certificate to that. effect." the following message :- The amendment appeared to be a reasonable one, Mr. President,- because of the almost practical impossibility of fJ.'he Legislative Assembly having had under conside getting an inspector to certify, by reason of his ration the Legislative ConncH's amendments in the being in all probability away from the district. Contractors' and \Yorkmen's Lien Bill, beg now to inti Under the circumstances, he. moved that the mate that tlley- amendment be agreed to. Disuryree to the amendment in clanse 2 omitting all words on linr·,;; 20 to 25, page 2, because the definition of Question put and passed. subcontractor must be retained in order to protect the workmen of the subcontractor. On clause 3-" 'J'emporary accommodation for sugar-workers in case of contract"- Disagree to the amendment in clause 2, line 44, for the same reason. 'l'he SECRETARY FOR AGRICULTURE: Attree to the new clause inserted after clause 2, with The Council inserted the following new sub the following amendment-Om'f t.he word ''also"-in clause:- which amendment they invite the concurrence of the Legii'lative Council. [9b.J Xotwithstanding anything contained in this Act, in tbe case of the owner or other person having Agree to thtl amendment in clause 3 mow 4), line 9, the control of a portable shearing plant and employing with the following further amcudment, yiz. :-on line not more than twenty shearers, exclusive of labourers, 8, omJ the \Vords " other than a contractor," these the regulations under this Act may prescribe the nature words being unnecessary-in which amendment they and extent of the temporary acccommodation to be invite the concurrence of the Legislative Council. supplied by such owner or person to such shearers and Disagree to the amendment on line 12 of the same labourers, so that in all respects t.hc health and well~ clause, because the workmen ofJ the subc'1nt!·actor are be-ing of such shearers and labourers nu1y be safe entitled to protection. guarded. Disat ee to th, amendments in :clause 5 (now 6), This new subclause had given him rtnite an lines 34 and 34 to 37, bt!CC/.H.~~- the workmen of the sub amount of concern. Looked .1t in relation to the contractor are entit.leil to prokction. grazing selector, and regarded entirely from his Disarree to the amendment in clause 6 h10\Y i), standpoint, the amendment had, undoubtedly, lines 61 to 57 {as now ]Jrintcd), 0ecawse the princival ·many advantage:-. It would save hin1 putting up object of the Act-viz., to giyc prote{'tion tn workmen, would bo frustrated in the ease of mortg:a!;ed land, if accommodation for the shearers, probably expe tho worl think that it would be an advantage to the accommodation. The Minister said that shearers grazing •elector to give this a trial. Regulations might he on a station for a fortnight, and yet could be framed, and if they found they were accommodation must be provided working badly, or if there was a danger of the [11 p.m.] which, for the remaining eleven interests of the shearers and workers being and a-half months of the year, jeopardised, it would be a simple matter to put would not be occupied at all. He would rather an end to it by a further amendment. Under live in a tent than in J, galvanised-iron hut. the circumstances, he thought the amendment might be agreed to. Mr. KERR: You have not been in a tent in wet weather. l\1r. KERR : He was certainly not in favour of supporting the amendment. In the principal HoN. R. PHILP: He had been in a tent in Act the definition of "shearer" was given as all weathers, and he had also been without even a "a shearer or labourer employed in or about a tent. ~Ien would be much more comfortable in shea~ring-shed." He would not object to an tents than in manv of the houses in the \V,,.t. extension of the number of men, but when they The tents were much cooler. allowed twenty shearers exclusiYe of rouse abouts it was too much. Anyvne who ban any Mr. HA~IILTOX : There were some grazing knowledge of shearing and rouseabouting knew farmers who had more sheep than pastoral very well that that meant that it was going to lessees. Some of them shore over 100,000 sheep. exempt thirty or thirty-five men from the pro The amendment of the Council was, in his visions of the Act. They might as well chuck opinion, intended to undermine the principal the principal Act in the waste-paper baeket at Act, which made provision for nine shearers, in once as to agree to that. He was not in favour clusive of rouseabouts. That was higher than of allowing twenty shearers, exclusi;-e of the the New South \Vales Act, which fixed the labourers, to be exempt from the provisions of number at six. The amendment as it came to the Act. them from the Council would make the number The SECRETARY FOR AGRICDLTGRE : Indicate of men more than thirty, because in addition to what you would consider a fair thing. the twenty shearers there would be ten or twelve labourers. In fact, the amendment would prac tically wipe out the Act, because nearly all the Mr. KERR : He considered fifteen shearers, stations were going in for shearing their sheep according to the definition of "shearers" in the Act, would be a fair thing. That meant fifteen by means of travelling plants, and many of men. He thought the grazing farmers ought to thern were encouraging n1en to co-operate in be very well satisfied to get fifteen men without getting those plants to go round the sheds. being put under the principal Act, and having to The amendment sug~ested by tbe hon. member make accommodation. He knew there was a for Barcoo, and which the Minister had ac good deal to be said for the portable plants, cepted) was a fair corn promise, as it would allow which had more men than the grazing farmer, fifteen shearers-which included rouseabouts-to and could get through the shearing much q nicker be accommodated in tents. That would reduce than if the grazing farmer carried it out himself the number by one-half as compared with the It amendment as it came to them from the Council. at his own place. was pointed out the dis He was strongly opposed to the original advantage the grazing farmers were under, but amendment. it wa~ 11ut pointed out the advantage they gained by getting their shearing finishe l in a fortuight, Amendment agreed to. \'V hen it w0uld :'-then·vise take them four or six weeks. Then, by shearing with a portable The clause was agreed to, with further conse plant, they got another advantage, in that they quential agreements. had not to provide any accommodation. If they were working- nun a raihvay sL\.tion, ai3 they On the> motion of the SECRETARY FOR were allowed tu do, the wool was rolled from AGHICULTURE, new clause 7 "Present where it was shorn right on to the trucks. structures not prejudiced by amending pro These were ad ;-antages that the grazing farmers visions "-wa~ agreed to. gained, and they should be limited in the number of uoen. The ::\Iinister said he had no The House resumed. The CHAIRMAX re· knowledge of sheep stations, ,md he thought porter! that tbe Committee had ~greed to one of 10,000 shcop n big fl6ck for a gr .zing fanner. the Council)s an1end1nents with a1nendn1ents, But he (::\lr. Kerr) knew grazing farmers who and had «greed to the other amendment>o. had 28,000, 30,000, and even up to 80,000 sheep, and he knew one man who had 100,000 Tl>e report was adopted. acreo of land. \Vhen the amending Act was before them, it w,ts pointed out tbnt tents were The SECRETARY 1<'01{ AGRICULTURE to be allowed for men working in the sug<1r moved that the Bill be returned to the Council fields, but that wets different to shearing sheep. with the following message:- The sheep could be driven to the shed, when;cs Ivir. l'resident,- in the c ,,se of the sugt,r~workers the men had to The LegislatiYe A:-:sembly having lutd under con go to where the t",me was growing in the field. sideration the amenclmtnts made by the Legislative He would move an amendment. Council in tht:, Shearers and Sugar \Yorker~, Acconnno dation A et Amendment Bill, bes now to intnnatc that The SECRETARY FOlt AGRICULTURE they- moved that the 'm.1endment of the Council be A{tree to the addition to clause 2, with the following amended by omitting the word "twenty" on amendments:- line 20 ann inserting "fifteen," making it not On line 20-0mit the words "twenty shearers, ex more than fifteen shearers to be employed. That clusiYe of labourers," 'insei'l the words "fifteen would involve consequential . HARBOUR BOARDS ACTS A:MEND The PREMIER: There had been a consider-~ MEXT BILL. able increase in the number of nominated immi grants recently-so far more than CoNSIDERATION m' LEGISLATIVE CouNCIL's [11.30 p.m.] double than for the whole of last A~IE:);TJ}IENTS. year, and they would have to face The TREASURER (Hon. W. Kidston, Rock the need for finding a still larger amount of harnpton): Mr. Spe~ker,-I move that you do money for the purpose. ]~verybody would be now leave the chair. glad to see a large number of desirable immi gr<>nts brought to the S:ate as soon as they could The SPEAKER: Before leaving the chair I be sure that they were likely to do well when they wish to draw the :tttention of the House to the came here. He was quite prepared to find any amendment in paragraph (2) of clause 2, which, reasonable amount of money for the purpose. read in conjunction with subclause (4), creates a charge upon the people not covered by the ;yrr. GRAYSON" was glad to hear the state message from His Excellency preceding the ment of the Treasurer. In the farming districts introduction of the Bill. there was a great dearth of htbour, and there was a splendid opening for bringing out a large Question put and passed. number of desirable immigrants of the farm labourencclass. U01Il\IITTEE. Mr. BARBER asked what was the amount On clause 2-" Protection of water frontages of passage money the nominated immigrant bad from erosion"- to pay? The TRJ State, asking those who were in need of men towards bringing people out here. Not 10 per to send in their requirements, and, if he found a cent. of the people of Queensland knew that the real scarcity of agricultural labourers, he was Government were prepared to bring their friends prepared to take an engagement from those out here. requiring them, if they would state the wages The PRE}IIER: I am advertising that now, and they were prepared to pay, and the length of I will be advertising it still more. time they would engage the men for. Then he would advertise the wages paid and the HoN. R. PHILP: He hoped the Premier year's engagement; and he had no doubt if would also advertise in the German papers here, they offered a reduction in Rteamer fares from and the Germans would bring out their country the old country they would be able to get men men. There was a feeling amongst the Germans from the north of Europe-if they went the that they were not wanted here, and that feeling right way· about it. Canada could get plenty of ought to be dispelled. It was something to know men. They only went to the United Stateo that the Premier was agreeable to people being because they had been induced to believe that brought out here. This was the first time than the conditions there would be better for them the Premier had opened himself out on that than they were in the old country. If we could matter. N otwithst.anding all that the Premier induce the same kind of belief with regard to had said, if it had not been for the past immi Queensland, the same result would follow. But gration policy of Queensland they would not Queensland was further away from the old have the people they had here now. No matter country, the steamer fares much higher, and we how much the Premier advertised for agricul should have to help in the matter. The first turallabourers, he would be bound to get some thing was to see that bon The TREASURER understood that the peti and was again given a job on one of the dredges. tion referred to had been received by Mr. He should like to know the re,son for his re Cullen three days ago, but it had not yet reached appointment to the service. him (Mr. Kidston), the fault probably being his The TREASURER: Captain Sunners was own. He would make close inquiries when it did reappointed on lVIr. Cullen's recommendation, reach him, and he would se~ how it was that because an officer was wanted who was well subordinate officers of the dredge service got acquainted with some work that was going on members of Parliament to inspect the plant. at the time. He was a very good officer. There were perfectly eo m petent officers in charge to whom complaints should be made, and who ::Yir. BARBER asked if there was no one else knew something about the matter. '\Vhat could who could have been appointed? Surely ,;ome of members of Parliament possibly know about the younger men in the service should get a dredges? Because the hon. member went on board chance of promotion ? a dredge and got a bit of scale or a bit of rust and HoN. R. PHILP : '\Vhen more dredges were brought it into that Chamber, he must not think put in commission why should not Captain that he was going to make a sensation or influ Sunners have the same chance of employment as ence him. That was an entire mistake. others? He was an elderly man, but what Mr. BOW}IAN: You would like to cover it up. would the hon. member do with him? "Would he knock him on the head? The TREASURER : He would not cover it up. He would let the light of day into it. Mr. REIC':"HOLD: There always had been What interest had he in covering up defective dissatisfaction in the Harbours and Rivers dredge plant? He would not have this kind of Department, because the remedy ~r grievances thing going on in the dredge service, and no hon. was applied at the wrong end. It was always member need think he was going to be influenced assumed tbat it was the men who were in the in this way. If he found members of the dredge wrong, when often someone else was at fault. service had been improperly using their position He wished to know why the watchman at the to make a sensation, they would be sorry for it. dock, who worked eighty-four hours a week, That was all about it. should not have the same holidays as the dredge watchmen? Mr. BOWMAN : The petition he referred to went in less than a month ago. \Vhat he The TREASURER : In reply to the hon. wanted to know was why dredges were not over member for Bundaberg, he could not give an hauled in the same way as the mercantile offhand opinion as to the necessity of more men marine? The Treasurer would never get from on the Government launches. He would make him the name of the man who had given him inquiry. information. Question put and passed. The TREASURER: He was not making any complaint about any officer or any man on the GOVERX;I!ENT SA VIXGS BAXK. dredge plant who knew, or thought he knew, that anything was wrong or ddective, and sent that The TREASUREit moved that £16,541 be information to the office. That was his duty, granted for the "Government Savings Bank." and he deserved to be punished if he did not do There were increases to officers amounting to it. But it was impossible to run a public service £1,100, which were very badly wanted. honestly and efficiently if subordinate officers HoN. R. PHILP referred to the charge of ls. were to run to members of Parliament with their made for keeping accounts in the bank. It complaints. was a miserable, paltry charge ;",,nd should be Mr. BowMAN : Many of them gave you infor abolished. mation that you worked on. The TREASURER : He put the charge on because he thought it was a right thing to do, The TREASURER : That was not true. HP and he believed it should be kept on. A deputa would never thank any officer for coming to him, tion of members represented to him the hardship and if an officer did such a thing with him while it was to friendly societies, one of whom had an he was in Opposition he would keep his eye on account of £300 or £400. They received 3 per him as a Minister. The good of the public cent. interest, and out of the £12 a year they service was not going to be served in this way. got they paid h. Any other bank would give No man need hesitate in going to him concern them no interest, and charge them 10s. '\Vhen ing anything in the departments of which he the charge was imposed they exempted accounts was the head, but they should not go to members under £2, in order to make sure of Parliament. [1.30 a.m.] that peJple with small accounts Mr. BARBER : He had not met any of the would not be discouraged. It was men on the dredges, but he understood that quite a fair charge to make according to the way there was some difficulty at times in men getting ordinary banking business was carried on, and it away at night. He did not suppose that any brought a little legitimately earned money into man expected to get away when a dredge was the Treasury. working clown the river, but when a dredge was HoN. R. PHILP: It was a paltry thing to working in town alongside a wharf they should do, seeing that the Government were borrowing be allowed to go ashore when they had finished the money of the people of Queensland at 3 per their work, so long as they turned up in time to cent. start the next morning, and they should not have The TREASURER : And paying them more to ask the captain for permission to leave. "With interest on their current accounts than any bank regard to some boats which acted as tenders to in Australia. dredges, and which were handled by a solitary individual, he thought one man was not suffi Mr. KERR suggested that temporary savings cient, and that he should be given assistance. banks should be established when new railway Another matter to which he wished to draw works were going on. The men had no place to attention was the fact that three years afSO keep their money, and it would enable them to Captain Sunners was retrenched from the ser save it, instead of spending it at the shanties. vice, being then sixty-five years of age. He Mr. P AGET: While travelling through the subsequently went to South Australia or '\Vestern sugar districts with the Sugar Commission they Australia, and got a position on a dredge there, found a nurn ber of hotels close to the gates of the but did not stay long, and he returned to Brisbane, isolated mills. At Pleystowe there were four, at [Hon. W. Kidston. Supply. [7 DECEMBER.] Supply. 2149 the Proserpine five, and at the :Mossman four or Mr P AGET asked if the Minister had t>tken five. 'Vould it not he possible, in the interests any further steps towards opening a road over of the men employed at those mills and on the the Eungella Range at the back of Mackay? farms, for some arrangement to be made The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: whereby an officer should visit those outlying He had instructed Mr. Hanclley to start as soon centres to receive deposits on account of the as the labour became available from the sugar Savings Bank ? That suggestion was strongly fields, and a beginning would be made directly. recommended by the Royal Commission. If it ran into an expense of £300 or £400 a year, HoN. R. PHILP: It was a late hour to be it would be money well spent. He hoped the putting the vote thro~1gh, but h~ was not going Treasurer, if he had not already done so, would to let it go throuah Without gettmg smne further make arrangements for an officer to visit those information on lt. He saw from Table DG of central mills. The system could also be extended the Treasurer's tables that £2,354 9s. 6d. was to the railway lines which were being constructed. spent on the Boonah-Killarney road, but the There would be a great development in that work was not finished and the road could not be direction under the new Railway Act. used. 'Vas the Minister going to make it fit for vehicular traffic? Mr. BARBER : Whatever need there had The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: ·been formerly for these Savings Banks, there was His department had clone more than they should still n1ore need now, when morA men were em have clone towards openmg up that road, and ployed in the sugar industry. The men had to the shire councils on either side failed to rise to change their cheques at the hotel, and it had a a sense of their duty in the matter. If they tendency to lead to drinking. In Canada the were suffering inconvenience it was their own Government proclaimed a prohibition area on fault. railway contracts, within which a hotel could HoN. R. .PHILP: The road surely could not not be built. The bad liquor which was supplied have been constructed to connect Boonah a~d was also the cause of a great deal of trouble, 73 Killarney, as both places had rail· or 80 per cent. of the police court case• being [2 a. m.] ways. They had been told that due to it. He hoped that the Premier, if he there were some valuable Crown could not see his way to assist the friendly hnds which would be opened up by the road. societies by abolishing the ls. fee in connection Had :>ny land been taken up since. the road was with keeping their accounts, would adopt the made, or had the money been simply thrown method at present in vogue in New South away? \V ales, which assisted the friendly societies by The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: placing on the Estimates a sum of £24,000. The ·road was undertaken because it was pointed 'Vhere a man was under sixty-five years of age, out that it would be a great convenience to both after he had been on the funds of the lodge for ends to have a short cut across country. There twelve months, the Government paid him 5s. per wos an area of Crown lands at the top of the w8ek. \Vhen a man reached sixty-five years of ranae and some valuable timber land, whilst age, they provided him with a doctor. The New the~e was another area of Crown lands at the South \V ales Premier stated that by encouraging bottom that was made available by the construc the friendly societies and inculcating the idea of tion of the road. thrift, the men would not have to fall back on the old age pension fund. He would be gla~ ~f HoN. R. PHILP: Practic:J.l!y, the money had the Government would reduce the present mlm been thrown away. People had been settled on mum deposit of 5s. to at least 2s. Gd., as it would the Blackall Range for over fifteen years, and -encourage our young people to be thrifty. thev badly needed roads. If the money had been spent t.here, it would h~ v~ do;1e some good. Mr. TURNER suggested that the Treasurer, At Bowenville, in the M1mster s electorate, instead of charging the fee of ls. on an account l,ltl3!, acres had been cleared at a cost of of £2, would raise the amount to £10, and on £1 17s. 9cl. per acre. \Vhat area had since been higher amounts charge 2s. He also thought sold, and what price was realised? the limit of £200 on which interest was allowed should be increased. At one time 5 per cent. The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS was allowed on £100, and 4 per cent. on the forgot what the price was. They had clear<;Jcl off next £100. some scrub and settled some people; a!'cl If a~l Government transactions were as profitable tt The 1'REASURER : With regard to the would he a good thing for the country. matters raised by the members for J\fackay and Bundaberg, he was fully seized with the import HoN. R. PHILP : All this money was spent ance of doing any little thing the Government in Ministers' electorates. Not one shilling '':'as could do to encourage the spirit of temperance. spent in North Queensland. In the 'Varw!Ck It was not very easy to do it, and the reme The 'SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LAXDS: eimply meant adding to the cost of the cPntral It v, ~s too soon to pronouncP judgment in reg·ud board, without making any material impression to the .T oudaryan tran~.action. He was a ware on the rabbit<. They might hope for some assist the hon. gentleman was pes8imistic about it. ance from Dt·. Dctnyz's experiments, ann in the Prickly li'ear was a per"istent plant; but, if they me1.ntime they were spending £30,000 or £-lO,DOO kept at It, they would ueat it in the long run. Hon. members had been kept sitting till this that information the people's representatives in early hour of the mornin~, and members oug-ht the Chamber would have a right to ask why it was to be prepared to listen to the discussion. 'l'he not done. 'rhere were 8,000 soil analyses made ~on ..member for l\1ackay was making a most at the laboratories last year, and they did not mtelhgent speech, and he ought to be listened receive one iota of information about it. They to. were told that a comprehensive soil analysis The ACTING CHAIRMAN : I decline to would be issued by and by. But whilst they ·count the Committee. were waiting their lands were becoming depleted, Mr. _P AGET : When the present director and it was not to the benefit of the State that made h1s first report, he utterly condemned the that should be so, especially when they remem system of ratooning. How could he be ex] 'ected bered that the sugar industry was worth to know anything of the men who went North £2,000,000 to the State. He brought under the to overcome the tropical jungle? Their first crop notice of the Minister the necessity for establish cost them £16 an acre, and the only way in which ing experimental stations at the Isis and Cairns. they could get any return at all was from the The SECRETARY FOR AGRICULTURE ratoon crop. But he would not listen to the gathered that the points the hon. member wished plant rs, and condemned the system "lock to impress upon his mind were that stock,_ >end barrel." . H.e said in his last report [4 a.m.] he had no confidence in the Direc- that 1t was not h1s mtention to continue the tor of Sugar Experiment Stations; series of experiments beyond the second ratoon that the reports were issued in such a way as to crop; b!lt as the varieties dealt with had given be, if not unintelligible, at leaRt of little interest such satisfactory results a• second ratoons, and to those to whom they were supplied; that the had not shown any tendency to debility or present methods should be ab1wdoned; and they disease, and more especially for the reason that should revert to those which obtained before the the scarcity and cost of labour was becomin« a director came to Queensland. Everybody recog controlling ~actor in su\(ar production, it had nised that sugar was a big factor in our ag-ricul been determmed to contmue the experiments so tural production. Its value was over £2,000,000 as to embrace the third ratoon crop. sterling per '"nnum; the doctor referred to it as At twenty-nine minutes past 3 o'clock, holding its own against other products; and he took to himself, perhaps, some little credit in HoN. R. PHILP called attention to the state connection with it. of . the Committee. He had called attention to 1t before, and if the Chairman did not insist Mr. P AGET : Do you give him the credit? on a quorum being present, he would move him The SECRETARY FOR AGRICULTURE: out of the chair. He really thought that other factors came in as Quorum formed. well. The Government were quite entitled to Mr. P AGET : They fo,md out now that their give the fullest consideration to the views of practice of years ago could not have been very those who had studied the question, as the hon. bad, because they had then to con member for Mackay had done, in order that they [3.30 a. m.] sider the co: Queensland was too much for any one man, and tural Bank." There was an increase in the vote what would be a good thing for Mackay would of £36,620, the principal increase being £30,000 not be suitable for Cairns. We had a good for further advances. The operation of the enough chemist in Mr. Briinnich, and what we amended Act had been very satisfactory, and wanted was a man to study field culture. Deep had led to greatly increased business. culture, as recommended by Dr. Maxwell, might Hox. R. PHILP understood that the vacancy do very well in places where there was a deep rich in the managers hip had not been tilled, and that scrub soil, but it would not do where the land there was an acting manager at £225. Did the was poor. The principal thing desired by bUgar :Minister think that was a sufficient snm to growers was to discover a good sweet cane pay the manager of such an institution? He "·hich would stand up well, resist the grub, and saw that the trustees were getting more money, be self-trashing; and experiments in this direction and if so the manag-er should get more. might be made in Kamerunga. As far as Dr. l\Iaxwell was concerned, it would be a good The SECRETARY FOR AGRICULTURE thing to let him go when his time expired, and did not consider that £225 wa-, an adequate sum secme the services of half a dozen experts at for a capable manager. vVhen the late manager £500 or £600 per annum. was appointed the business was very small. HoN. R PHILP: :From a sugar-grower's Now that it was becoming extensive, it would point of view the speech made by the hon. mem pay the trustees to have a capa.ble and pro ber for Mackay was one of the bht he bad ever gressive man in charge. heard delivered in the House, and it deserved a Question put and passed. great deal more attention than it had received from the Committee. Dr. Maxwell was im ported by the late Government in order that he DAIRY PRODuCE Am". might give such ad vice to sugar-growers as would The SECRETARY FOR AGRICULTURE raise the return per acre from cane, but accord moved that £4,300 be granted under the "Dairy ing to statistics we got better returns before Dr. Produce Act." l\Iaxwell came here than we had got since. Now that we had commenced to grow sugar by white HoN. R. PHILP asked how far the inspectors labour, we should have to adopt the best went North? methods of cultivation and the latest inventions The SECRETARY JWR AGRICULTURE: in labour-saving machinery, if the system was to At present m>ly as far as Bunda be made a succes•. But in his opinion it would [4.30 a.m.] herg, but Rnckhampton Inust be not be possible to grow sugar in Queensland at brought under the Act, as it was any time without a bounty. He believed that beginning to produce butter for expor:t. The l'IIr. Briinnich was as good a chemist as we could inspection was doing all he anticipated It would get in ~ueenslanrl or in Australia; and if the do. Minister would give an assurance that he would Mr. PA GET asked whether the inspectors, he placed in charge of these sugar experiments when they found any defects in butter, were he should be prepared to let the vote go. able to indicate to the factories how those defects TheSECRETARYFORAGRICULTURE: could be remedied? There was no question about ::\Ir. Briinnich's The SECRETARY FOR AGRICULTURE : .ability as a chemist. Yes, and that was done. Hon. R. PHILP : ·w;n you put him on this Question put and passed. work? The SECRETARY FOR AGRICULTURE: Not yet. He had other work for Mr. Briinnich ADVANCES TO SETTLERS E'liND. to do. But before any new assessment was The SECRETARY FOR AGRICULTURE made he should be disposed to review the whole moved that £7,000 be granted to the "Advances matter, with a view of making- Mr. Briinnich to Settlers Fund." The only group established -chemist in charge of the whole establishment, as was at Ideraway. There were twenty-three men that would bP better than having divided autho in the group, seventeen of whom were on t~e rity. ground. Exemption bad been granted to six Question put and passed. selector;; until the end of the year, as they were at present engaged in other accupations. The DISEASES IX PLANT~ ACT. total expenditure to date was £1,887 2s. Sd. The department had selected for them a really The SECRETARY FOR AGRICULTURE first-class piece of land, and the Intercolonial moved that £1,127 be granted under the "Dis vVell-boring Company were sinking for water on eages in Plants Act." · the property. The group had been supplied with HoN. R. PHILP called attention to the state stock, horses, cows, and such seed as they needed; of the Committee and to the fact that a vote had and there was every hope that the experiment 'been taken without a quorum being present. would prove a success. The Northern group had not been overlooked. but there the difficulty had The ACTING CHAIRMAN: I decline to been to find a suitable piece of land near a rail count the Committee. way. Inkerman had been inspected, and there HoN. R. PHILP: Then he would have to was plenty of good land upon it, but it was too report the matter to the Speaker. far from a market. There was an estate at Mr. PAGET asked how the assessment was Tolga, near Atherton, which was being reported levied? on, and he was disposed t•> buy it, but the land The SECRETARY FOR AGRICULTURE : belonged to a member of the Chamber and he There was an assessment of 1s. for every 100 thought it might be unwise to acquire it under bunches of bananas exported-3d. for a large those circumstances. The price was 15s. per acre, and Mr. Benson spoke highly of it, and crate and 1d. for a small crate. said it was suitable for close, settlement. He Question put and passed. hoped he woul The SECRETARY FOR AGRICuLTURE: plans were approved of. The first plan the)' It wns really more th:cn they would use because proposed was an unworkable one, and another there was fully £3,000 left from the last vote. plan had to be prepared, but there had been Question put and passed. &ome trouble among the local authorities as to water rights, and that had caused delay. HoN. R. PHILP: The Townsville people BUILDINGS. finished the plans two years ago, but the Govern The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC WORKS ment would not accept them, and they promised moved that £33,G50 be granted for "Buildings." to make new plans for them. Thctt promise had There were not many items in this vote, the not been fulfilled yet. principal being £12,000 for new schoolhouses The TREASURER : They furnished plans to and additions, £G,OOO for new courthouses anrl the Government for a considerable distance of police buildings, and £5,000 for a new ward at pipe line, showing that the pipes were to be sunk the Hospital for the Insane at Ipswich. 22 feet, which would have been a most costly Question put and passed. work. The Hydmulic Engineer did not appro,·e of that plan, and he went up to Townsville, and helped them to work out a better scheme. HARBOGRS AND RIVERS-DRY DOCK. Mr. MANN asked if the vote included a:rr. The TREASURER moved that £150 he amount for the Cairns water scheme? granted for "Harbou" and Rivers -Dry Dock." Th_is was the balance of the money required to The 'TREASURER: Ko special provision: :hmsh the c0st of the hand-power derricking was made for the C•irns water scheme, and as a crane. matter of fact that place was not in a position to Question put and passed. get a loan, as they had not prepared proper plans. The Hydraulic Engineer was sent up there too, and the matter was now under way. WATER SUPPLY. Question put and passed. The TREASURER moved that £8,500 be granted for "vVater Supply." The Government LOANS IN AID OF DEEP SINKING IN MINES. had been successful with the Bedourie bore, but they had not been so successful with the Eromanga The TREASURER moved that £2,000 be bore. They had allowed the contractor to granted for "Loans in Aid of Deep Sinking in abandon his contract, and enter into another .Mines." The amount spent from this vote last. contract at that place. year was £1,132. Hon. R. PHII,P : Is that the only place where Mr. PAULL asked if it was correct that you are boring at present? £1,500 had already been promised to Gym pie? The TREASURE:R: The Government were The TREASURER : It was correct, but the paying half the cost of putting down bores at vote was a mere estimate, and if more money Mitchell and Hughenden. ware really wanted it would be found. HoN. R. PHILP : He thought the Govern HoN. R. PHILP: Didn't the hon. gentlema:rr ment should put down more bores. promise £10,000 to Croydon? Mr. KERR suggested, in reply to the leader The TREASURER: No. . of the Opposition, that bores might Question put and passed.. [5 a.m.] be put down in the desert country to the north of Jericho and at Augathella, where one had been wanted for a LOANS IN AID OF CO-OPERATIVE AGRICULURAL. long time. PRODUCTIO!'i. HoN. R. PHILP : The hon. member had The TREASURER moved that £3,000 be always opposed a bore at Augathella, because it granted for "Loans in Aid of Co-operative Agri was not in his own constituency. In any case, cultural Production." He confessed that he did it would not be in new country. not know what this vote meant, and thought that, for conscience sake, it should be dropped· QuestiOn put and passed. off the Estimates. l\lr. PAGET pointed out that sums had been LOANS TO LOCAL BODIES. lent to various co-operative crearneries and a milling company, and suggested that they should The TREASURER moved that £100,000 be let people know that it was possible to get granted for "Loans to Local Bodies." assistance in erecting factories. Ho_N. R. PHILP : The hon. gentleman had Hox. R.. PHILP thought a mill was built out prormsed the municipal council of Townsville of that vote ; but, as a matter of fact, the banks over two years ago that, if they paid up their would lend cheaper, and with less trouble, than arrears of interest, he would advance them the Government. money ~or a water supply. They had carried out theu share of the bargain, bnt the hon. Question put and passed. gentleman had not carried out his. The council raised the money to pay off their arrears from WIRE NETTING UXDER THE RABBIT BOARDS ACTS, the ratevayers, and neglected the roads to carry 1896 to 1903. out the harsh terms of the Treasurer. The TREASuRER moved that £36,000 be The TREASURER : The hon. gentleman granted for " Wire ::"'[ etting under the Rabbit was not only grossly unfair, but he knew that be Boards Acts, 1896 to 190:l." was grossly misrepre,enting the matter. It was true that he had promised the local authority HoN. R. PHILP asked if the netting waK at Townsville a loan for a water supply if they supplied to the boards, or to the grazing farmer;, paid up the arrears on their previous loan · but and lessees ? instea.rl of having disappointed them, h~ had The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: taken the trouble to send up engineers on three The bulk was supplied to lessees on usual terms. or four different occasions to try to get the work If any of the boards made out a good case it in order. They could get the 'money when the would be supplied to them. [.Hon. D. F. Denham. Supp1.1J. [ll DECEMBER.] Papers. 2155 ::\Ir. KERR asked if the Gcvernment bad in The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: It contemplation the making of their own wire would be applied on the same lines a, the netting as wa:-; done in Victoria and previous vote. Last year £2,000 was asked for, [5.30a.m.] New South \Vales? There were a but it W>tfl a revote of £1,900, so that only £10(} lot of men at St. Helena who ought was spent on interlocking. The expenditure to be able to make the netting and save the was necessary for the safety of passengers and State a good deal of money. traffic. The SECEETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: Mr. BURROWS: \Vhere was the jnstice of Ea0h machine cost £650. The matter bad not doing thi" on a line which returned a profit of been considered. £22,000 per annum for the last twenty years? l\1r. LAND : In the past the purchasing price The SECilETARY FOR RAILWAYS : As I told you was prtid out of loan, and the interest handed the other night, it is for the straightening of over to the boards, and that money was often curves and reducing gradients. frittered away. \Va. it intended in future that the interest should be paid to the Treasury? He Mr. P A ULL asked what became of the would draw attention to the fact that inferior surplus money? Did it go into the general fund netting made in Germany had been supplied. It or into revenue ? would be better to make their own netting than The SECRETARY FOR RAII,\VAYS : It goes into to use such nmterial as that. revenue. The TREASURER: There was a probability (,luestion put and passed. of the Government having to spend much more money than had been spent in the past. \Vhile the TreRsurer would like to get the 5 per cent. GENERAL EXPENDITURE. back, there was no intention of altering the The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS system. The country got a re( urn for the money moved that £81,000 be granted for "General received by the boards in the shape of the work Expenditure." There was a very large increase done by them. The Gowrnment had ordered in the rolling·stock. The traffic was increasing, an unusually large quantity of netting for future and last month was a record month for this use. year. (,luestion put and passed. " HoN. R. PHILP thought it would be better for the Government to spend a certain amount RAILWAYS-GENERAL ESTABLISHMENT. on rolling-stock each year instead of rushing to The SECRETARY ]'OR RAILWAYS an extreme amount this year for railway con moved that £18,085 be granted for "Railways struction. The late Government spent an -General Establishment." average of £100,000 a year for seven years. :\Ir. BARBER asked when the survey of the Question put and passed. Dalgangalline was likely to be commenced? The House resumed. The Ac1'!NG CHAIRMAN The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: reported progress, and the Committee obtained There would have to be a preliminary inspection leave to sit again on Tuesday next. before anything in the nature of a survey was Ordered, that the resolutions be received on done, and that would take place early in the Tuesday next. year. Mr. BURROWS : Some time ago the Minister The House adjourned at four minutes to 6 said there was a difficulty in procuring men for o'clock. construction work. He would suggest that he should advertise in the Charters Towers papers before sending south. Question put and passed. CIVIL ENGINEERING BRANCH, SOl'THERN DIVISION. The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS moved that £164,100 be granted fm· the "Civil Engineering Branch, Southern Division." Question put and passed. OEN~'RAL DIVISION. The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS moved that £104,500 be granted for the "Civil EnginBering Branch, Central Division." This included a revote of £55,000 for the Jericho to Blackall Railway. (.luestion put and pas>ed. NORTHERN DIVJSJON. The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS moved that £189,850 be granted for the "Civil Engineering Branch, Northern Division." The principal work was the construction of the Richmond to Cloncurry Railway, for which a sum of £180,.500 was asked. Mr. BURROWS asked what portion of the Townsville line the £2,000 for interlocking was charged for? It was very unfair that it should be continually added to the Northern line, which was paying interest and working expenses and showing a profit. ngly than the hon. gentleman ·what does this mean? If there is anv blame to be himself, and he should be the last man in this attached to anybody at all in this matter, it is to Hou,e to say that the Opposition forced the the Government themselves. \Ve had a distinct hands of the Government, because h•·J knows assurance in the late Premier'g rr1anifesto, and in just as well a8 I do that no one could force the the Governor's Speecb, and we had a strong hands of the Governn1ent unless they wanted speech from the Minister for Lands on this Bill them to be forced. \Vhat could eighteen or that the freeholders would be brought in soHJe nineteen 1:nembers do against the Governn1ent how or other. The Minister for Lmds said if forces? They might make a slight protest, but the freeholders received an enhanced value on tbat is about all. If the Government really their land he was not ~,;oing to M.tttd by >ltHl ,ee desired to ap).Jly the principle of a betterment, these people getting the benefit without paying they should have done it in 1\!04; but I certainly something towards it. If the Government think the SecreLtrv for Lands should not try to wanted to carry out the promise they had made, put himself right \vith his constituents-because it should have been introduced in the Bill in that was really the effEct of his speech-- the first instance, and it would have saved all this trouble. 'rhe late Premier gave the assur The SPEAKER : Order ! ance to the House that the betterment prin J\1r. FORSYTH: \V ell, the hon. gentleman ciple wets to apply to all light agricultural had no right to blame members on this side for lines, and it should have been applied to every reminding the Government of something they ag-ricultural line, not only to the Dalby to bad promised to do, and which they had failed Cattle Creek line, but to the \Vetheron line as to do. well. I do not see why this Dalby line should :\fr. J. LEAHY (Bulloo): Under our system be singled out as against ot-her agricultural lines. of government-- Some hon. mAmbers spoke about [5 p.m.J the Jericho-Blackall line and the The PRE~IIJ